


get home

by curseofmen



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Ahsoka Tano, Bickering, Canon-Typical Violence, Chases, Crash Landing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Reunions, Force Bond (Star Wars), Found Family, Gen, Happy Ending, Literal Sleeping Together, Mentions of Blood, Platonic Cuddling, Rescue Missions, Team Bonding, em dashes are my best friends, grandmaster and grandpadawan times, parcour lets go, set in s4 before umbara, that's all they do, the obi-wan & ahsoka arc we deserved, theme of chapter 2: ahsoka & obi-wan are cat people, what can you do? it's the best trope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:21:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 31,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25200832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curseofmen/pseuds/curseofmen
Summary: After a mission goes wrong and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker goes missing, it is up to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano to bring him home.[or: a Grandmaster and a Grandpadawan go on a road trip to rescue chaos personified]
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 70
Kudos: 302





	1. traces of you

**Author's Note:**

> since tcw lacks obi-wan & ahsoka focused duo episodes i took matters in my own hands 
> 
> pls don't hold me accountable for the technicalities of hyperspace and how ships work, i really don't know i'm just winging it
> 
> kudos and comments are always appreciated!  
> have fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin goes missing in Hutt Space and Obi-Wan and Ahsoka get send to get him back. Things don't go as planned.

Ahsoka Tano is always late. It’s an unfavourable characteristic she’s taken on from Anakin, who could never be bothered with punctuality to begin with, while Ahsoka is at least trying. By now she’s used to it and it rarely bothers her anymore, unless it’s a situation like this—Anakin should’ve been back from his mission three days ago. Ahsoka wasn’t allowed to come, instead, she had to stay behind on Coruscant, practise her lightsaber forms and read up on galactic history she forgets after getting one night of sleep. 

Her chest is heaving and falling a little heavier than usual when she finally stumbles into the tower where the Council resides. Knowing that one of them is going to scold her for it she speaks before any of them even get the chance to open their mouths. 

“Is Master Skywalker back?” she asks and looks around the room. Only a few of the Council members are actually physically present and surprisingly enough Master Yoda isn’t one of them. It’s a thing that only rarely happens. Master Windu, however, is present and the one to fixate her with a stern look. Well, she kind of deserved that one. Besides him, it’s only Master Plo and Obi-Wan.

“This is why we called you here, little ‘Soka,” Master Plo says, from where he’s sitting next to Master Windu. 

“So… he’s not back?” 

“We have lost contact with him two days ago,” Master Windu informs her. 

“And you’re only telling me now?” Ahsoka shrieks and winces when they all stare at her _again,_ so she adds a small “Sorry”.  
Still, she does give them an accusing look, that’s mostly pointed at Master Kenobi, who really should’ve told her about this earlier, but he’s not really looking at her, rather than that he’s staring at some unidentified point besides her while he’s absent-mindedly stroking his beard, with the ankle of his right leg resting on top of his other knee. 

“We were hoping it was just one of these things Skywalker tends to do,” Master Windu answers, who looks at least somewhat apologetic, “and that he had shown up by now.”

Ahsoka fiddles with the belt around her waist. 

“But he’s… he’s fine, right?” she stammers, mainly still staring at Obi-Wan, who’s still not really paying attention to her. 

“Well, we can’t know for sure, but—”

Ahsoka’s insides tighten up immediately. 

“He’s not dead,” Obi-Wan interrupts quietly and doesn’t earn a disapproving stare from the rest of the Council members. Though, the way he says it there’s the overwhelming presence of a _“not yet”_ hanging around in here. No one scolds him for the interruption. Maybe because he is calm and quiet, where Ahsoka is turbulent and loud. He’s also a well-respected Council member whereas she is a Padawan, so there’s also that possibility. 

“We’re going to look for him, aren’t we? Because we can’t just sit around and—”

“Ahsoka.” It’s Master Plo talking again and she shuts her mouth. “We already talked about it. We just asked you here to inform you of what’s going on.”

  
A few days too late, Ahsoka wants to tell them but then again she already voiced her justified problems with that. She doesn’t speak up because Master Plo seems like he’s about to continue talking. “We will try our best to bring Skywalker back.”

Ahsoka looks around the room again and stops at Obi-Wan, who _finally_ looks back at her. The circles under his eyes are deeper and darker than they are normally are. He has looked worse but that was usually on some battlefield and not with them being back on Coruscant. 

“I will go look for him,” Obi-Wan says, tone reassuring as always, “the two hundred and twelfth is still on shore leave so I won’t be needed anywhere.”

Ahsoka stares at him for a moment. “You’re going to take me with you, right?”

“Ahsoka,” he says and she has spent enough time with him to know that tone of voice by heart, “Anakin went missing somewhere in Hutt Space. This is hardly the place for a Padawan.”

Ahsoka bristles at that. 

“I will just sneak onto the ship then,” she snaps. It’s worth a shot. Perhaps it will persuade them into letting her come so she’s technically not going to disobey the Council. She would, though. Ahsoka can’t just let her Grandmaster, not that she’d ever call him that to his face, perform some rescue mission all on his own, _especially_ when her Master is concerned. Obi-Wan drags a hand across his face, something Ahsoka usually only gets to see when he’s talking to Anakin about some of his reckless plans. For a moment she feels bad because obviously he has enough on his plate already, with the whole commanding thousands of troops. But she would feel even worse if she’d let Obi-Wan go alone. He’s terrible at taking care of himself. 

“How nice to see that Skywalker is passing along his many… qualities,” Master Windu mutters.

“Ahsoka—” Obi-Wan makes another attempt but this time he’s the one getting interrupted.

“Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad idea.” 

Obi-Wan shoots a glare at Plo Koon like he’s feeling personally betrayed right now. He probably is. Ahsoka lets a triumphant smile spread across her lips. 

“But—”

“I’m sure she can be of help,” Master Plo says and Obi-Wan seems to back down at that. Sometimes she forgets he’s actually the youngest on this Council. 

“I don’t like it.”

Master Windu, who Ahsoka suspects, has the final say in this when Yoda is not around, glances around between Obi-Wan and Master Plo. 

“I agree,” he says and Ahsoka involuntarily holds her breath, “with Master Koon. Travelling around Hutt Space alone isn’t the smartest option, especially when we don’t know in which condition you’ll find Skywalker.”

“Fine,” Obi-Wan says, voice clipped. 

“Fantastic,” Ahsoka says at the same time with much more enthusiasm. 

Master Windu gives her another long look. Probably, a little less talking from now on. She got this  
“You can both go,” he says, “and get ready for your mission to find Skywalker.” With a simple nod, Obi-Wan rises from his seat and comes striding towards her. He doesn’t look too pleased about this. 

“Well, come on then, young one.”

As soon as the doors close behind them, Ahsoka allows herself to speak a bit more freely. 

“Why didn’t you tell me that we lost contact with Anakin days ago?” She doesn’t mean to sound accusingly, but she does anyway. 

“I’d hoped he’d be back by now,” Obi-Wan admits, taking long steps that make Ahsoka need to speed up her steps—not that she isn’t used to it by now. With Anakin or Rex it’s even harder to keep up since both of them are taller than Obi-Wan. “He was running late but since that was hardly anything new, I didn’t think of it.”

“And what changed?” Ahsoka asks while they make their way to the quarters. Not that they’re going to need to pack that much. 

“I can’t feel him anymore.” 

Ahsoka stops dead in her tracks. “What?” She wasn’t able to feel Anakin in the first place since it’s a long way from Coruscant to the Hutt Space and their force bond hasn’t existed for as long as Obi-Wan’s and Anakin’s bond—so she didn’t think much of it. “But you said he’s not dead!”

Obi-Wan stops too and puts a hand on her shoulder. “And he is not, do not worry. It just means he’s moving further away even though he should be getting closer.”

Ahsoka stares at the floor. “All right.”  
“He’s going to be fine, Ahsoka.”

Ahsoka sighs, but nods. If Obi-Wan says it’s going to be all fine, it _has_ to be fine in the end. After all, she’s not the only one who visibly relaxes when Obi-Wan says that it’s going to be fine. She sees it often enough with Anakin or his men.

“So anything in particular that I should bring?” she asks when they finally reach the area of the Temple where the quarters are located.

“Nothing more than you would normally bring,” Obi-Wan answers, “a robe. We need to keep a low profile, but I shouldn’t have to tell you that. You’ve been close enough to Hutt Space before.”

Ahsoka crosses her arms in front of her chest; remembering her first mission with Anakin to Teth is an easy one.

“Exactly, which is why I don’t see the problem with me going with you.” She shrugs. “I survived Mortis, didn’t I?”  
“You’ve been to Teth,” Obi-Wan says slowly and she can feel a lecture coming in. “We will be going to Nar Shaddaa. They’re very different from each other.”

“Nar Shaddaa?” Ahsoka raises an eyebrow. She didn’t know that Anakin’s mission had been on Nar Shaddaa—she didn’t know much about his mission in general. Just that it was one of those he kept her far away from. “That’s Nal Hutta’s moon, I—what? Don’t look at me like that. I _do_ listen when you tell me things.”

“Could have fooled me,” Obi-Wan responds dryly. Then, more gently, he adds: “Now go get your things and meet me in the hangar after. We need to get going immediately.”  
“Sure thing, Master.” 

With that Ahsoka turns around and runs off to her quarters to get her things together—mainly her lightsaber because this is really all she needs in the end. _Your lightsaber is your life_. She knows the drill since Anakin tells her that all the time. Ahsoka digs out a small backpack from the corner of her quarters and throws it onto her bed. The only things that really goes in there are her spare clothes and the robe, while she clips the lightsaber to her belt. It only takes mere moments, before she rushes out of the room again, the door closes behind her and she’s on her way to the hangar. 

When she gets to the outside of the hangar, she finds that there’s a ship already waiting. It’s the same class as Anakin’s _Twilight._ Good. At least she will know her way around in there. She spots Obi-Wan on the platform in front of the ship where he’s not alone. Ahsoka recognises Rex immediately and when he moves he gives her a clear view at the yellow armour of Commander Cody. It’s no surprise that he’s here. They probably don’t like the fact that Obi-Wan and she will be going alone on this mission. 

“I’m here, I’m here,” she pants out. Since neither of them is wearing their helmets, she can see the amused smile playing on Rex’s lips, while Cody remains as stoic as ever. “You’re not coming with us, are you?” 

Cody shakes his head, his helmet tugged away neatly under his arm, resting at his hip. “I’m afraid not, Commander Tano.”  
Ahsoka deflates a little at that. It had been fairly obvious—if Obi-Wan didn’t want her on this mission already, there was no chance that he’d let Rex and Cody come with them. 

“We’ll be fine,” Obi-Wan says. “No need to worry, Cody.”

“If you say so, Sir.”

“Very much so.” 

Rex and Ahsoka watch them go back and forth in mild interest, both of the men are smiling at each other.

“We do have to get going now.” 

“Of course, Sir.” It’s Rex who answers this time. “Bring the General back in one piece. I wouldn’t want the five-oh-first to get reassigned.”

“We will,” Ahsoka says. She wouldn’t know what to do if there would ever come a moment where she wouldn’t be able to get Anakin back. 

“Good, Commander.”

Ahsoka and Rex are both ready to leave in their separate ways, while Cody and Obi-Wan remain as if glued to their spots. They don’t really pay attention to Rex and her, it’s mildly discomforting. Ahsoka is close to clearing her throat at the risk of Obi-Wan glaring daggers at her when Cody saves her from it; simply unaware to it. 

“Boil and Waxer will be disappointed, Sir,” Cody says. “They wanted to drag you out for drinks.”

Obi-Wan chuckles. “Shame, they will have to try another time then.”  
“I will tell them you said that, Sir.”

“I was afraid you would, Cody,” he sighs. 

His eyes wander over to Ahsoka for a moment and that seems to make him snap out of… whatever that just was. Instead of making Ahsoka do it, he clears his throat and that gets Cody to tense up for a moment as well. 

“Well, we really have to go now,” Obi-Wan sighs. “We’ll come back in one piece, no worries.”

Rex and Cody both give a sharp nod at that and Rex pats her shoulder one time before they turn around and get back into the hangar, leaving Obi-Wan and Ahsoka on the platform by themselves. 

“Now. Enough of goodbyes. It will take us a few days to get to the Hutt Space and I have to be back before the shore leave ends.”

Ahsoka looks up at him, swaying from one foot to the other. “What if we don’t find him until then?”

It’s not really something she wants to take into consideration, but the thought had presented itself that as soon as the two hundred and twelfth had to march back into battle again Obi-Wan would need to be with them—with or without having found Anakin. And now that Obi-Wan is voicing exactly this… she feels like she needs to ask. 

“Then,” he very carefully says, “we will find a way to make it work. We _will_ find him, Ahsoka. That, I am quite sure of.”  
_Hopefully alive and with his remaining three limbs still attached to his body_ is left unsaid. If Obi-Wan feels her anxiousness through the force he doesn’t say anything. He might. Her shields are by far not as strong as his’. There’s nothing getting through them if he doesn’t want it. Ahsoka nods. She trusts in Obi-Wan’s words, just like Anakin always does. 

When they’re just about to walk up the ramp into the ship, a small speeder pulls up at the platform that makes them stop. Ahsoka recognises Senator Amidala before she even gets the chance to step onto the platform. Two men of her personal guard are with her. The senator spots them not soon after and adverts her walk and comes walking towards them. She's wearing one of her complicated hairpieces and an elegant dress like she arrived straight from the Senate, which is what she probably did. 

"Senator," Obi-Wan says, "what brings you to the Temple?"

Padmé smiles at them. "I'm meeting with Master Windu. Something about the Banking Clans again…" She trails off, watching their packed bags and then the ship. "And I told you to call me Padmé, didn't I?"

Ahsoka thinks she seems lost for a moment, then her shoulders sag a little. "Are you going to look for Anakin?"

There's no need of calling him ' _General Skywalker'_ when she's around them. Not that she ever gets it right the first time. Just like Anakin never gets the ' _Senator Amidala'_ right. 

"Who-"

"The Chancellor mentioned it," she answers softly before Ahsoka gets to finish her sentence. 

"Of course he did," mutters Obi-Wan and he doesn’t sound too pleased about it. They all share some sort of hostility towards the Chancellor at some extend, Obi-Wan seemingly leading by a long shot, which is something Anakin hasn't in common with any of them. Padmé and Obi-Wan exchange some looks that speak of a shared past Ahsoka knows fairly nothing of. 

"Anakin will be fine, Padmé," Obi-Wan finally says. "Next time we'll see each other it'll be the three of us."

To Ahsoka's surprise, he lets Padmé extend her hand to grabs his' and squeeze it. "Take care, Obi-Wan."

He nods. "I'll go get the engines started." He looks at Ahsoka. "Don't take too long."

Obviously he knows that Ahsoka likes Padmé a lot and really, except for the people who seem to want her dead every other day, who doesn't like her? She always feels warm and caring in the Force. As soon as Obi-Wan has entered the ship Padmé takes a step forward and pulls Ahsoka into her arms. Ahsoka puts her chin down on Padmé's shoulder. 

"Make sure Obi-Wan doesn't get in too much trouble."

"That's why I insisted on coming, Senator."

Padmé rests her hands on Ahsoka's shoulder and pushes her away slightly so she can look at her. "And you take care of yourself too."

"Of course." Ahsoka smiles at Padmé and as soon as the Senator drops her arms, she jogs up the ramp to no longer keep Obi-Wan waiting. 

She slips into the pilot seat next to Obi-Wan who's already ready to manoeuvre them into space. 

"If you don't mind me asking," she finds herself saying, while the ship starts to lift off of the platform. "why don't you like flying? You're not too bad at it."

At that Obi-Wan makes a small noise from the back of his throat. "I certainly do not want to die crashing some ship in a completely undignified way."

"Good point," she mutters. She's always rather enjoyed flying but she guesses that comes hand in hand with Anakin Skywalker training you. Obi-Wan does not share their affinity nor their liking for it. 

It makes for fun flights, though. Obi-Wan complaining about Anakin's flying technique every other second and having Anakin just too happily engage in bickering with him. But she supposed a more soft-grown and quieter flight for once will be just fine for her as well. After all, war is and loud and fast and overwhelming and sometimes all she needs is a moment of peace and quiet—spending a few days in the hyperspace will do that. 

After programming the navicomputer to take them to Nar Shaddaa they jump into hyperspace. Even with them travelling through hyperspace it will take them several days to get to Hutt Space. Ahsoka knows for a fact that Obi-Wan probably brought at least one book with him on this mission to not get bored during those days, while Ahsoka… has not. Maybe she can persuade Obi-Wan into playing a round or maybe ten of Dejarik with her, even though she’d probably lose within a few draws. That one time she played with Padmé when she went to Alderaan with her it already went horrific, if Obi-Wan is only half as skilled as Padmé it’s going to go badly. Still, it bypasses the time and they’re going to have a lot of it. However, before Ahsoka can get Obi-Wan to play some Dejarik with her, they should probably have a talk about Nar Shaddaa. 

Since the ship is on autopilot and Obi-Wan is still attentive enough, Ahsoka draws her legs onto her seat and puts her chin down on her knees. 

“So, about Nar Shaddaa,” she says and Obi-Wan glances at her, “it’s a city like Coruscant, right?”

“I thought you listen when I tell you things?”

“Yes, well… most of the times.”

“Ah,” Obi-Wan chuckles, “I see. Well, you know the lower levels of Coruscant,” and Ahsoka nods, she’s been down there enough of times, “Nar Shaddaa is like that and worse in every corner.”

“Is that why Anakin didn’t take me with him?” Ahsoka asks. 

“He didn’t go to Nar Shaddaa. His mission was on Toydaria, he was tracking a bounty hunter.”

“Then _why_ are we going to Nar Shaddaa?”

Obi-Wan turns his pilot seat towards to Ahsoka. “Let’s suppose, for a moment, that something happened to Anakin and he isn’t just taking an extended vacation at the expense of all our nerves, then they would probably bring him there. A Jedi and a lightsaber… can bring you a lot of money in a place like this.” He strokes his beard. “Nar Shaddaa is known as—”

“The Smuggler’s moon,” Ahsoka finishes for him and tilts her head in a smile as if to reaffirm that she really does listen to him. The small nod he gives her makes her bloom with small pride. The moment is over soon enough and she deflates. “I should’ve been with him,” she mutters, “maybe he wouldn’t be—”

“Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan interrupts her gently enough. “there’s nothing you could have done.”  
“Because he didn’t take me with him!”

“He didn’t take you with him because he’s concerned with your safety.”

“I’ve been to worse places before,” she responds, the Citadel for example or Trandosha but she doesn’t want to talk about that. It’s still a fresh wound in her mind. She wasn’t exactly supposed to be in either of these places in the first place but they still count.

“You deserved to rest. It’s not going to do anyone any good if Anakin drags you to missions you’re neither mentally nor physically capable of fulfilling.”

“But—”

“I’m speaking from experience, trust me.”

That one kind of gets Ahsoka to shut up. If there were missions Obi-Wan wouldn’t take Anakin, the literal chosen one, on with him that must mean she isn’t that bad of a Padawan. As if he’s reading her mind, he adds a mere moment later: “Anakin is very proud of you, Ahsoka.”

“I guess so.”

“It’s the truth,” Obi-Wan says, “he tells me all the time.”

“Really?” Ahsoka peaks up from where her head was resting on her knees a second ago. Technically she _knows_ that Anakin trusts her, most of the times, but it’s still nice hearing it from someone else—especially if that person is Obi-Wan. 

“He has a lot of faith in you.” Obi-Wan turns the pilot seat again so he’s staring into the vast endlessness of the hyperspace. “And with good reason so.”

She’s stunned into silence before she can prevent a small smile blooming on her lips. “Thank you, Master,” she whispers. 

“You’re welcome, Padawan,” Obi-Wan says, “Now get some rest, will you. Going to Nar Shaddaa I will need you on your best behaviour and you need to be rested for that, that I can promise you.”

Ahsoka rises from the seat, turning to leave towards one of the small rooms on the ship. In the door frame, she turns around. 

“I’ll take over after a while,” she says, “you need to rest too.”  
“I—”

“Or I’ll just keep sitting here, with you.”

She can hear Obi-Wan sigh. “Fine.”

"Good."

With that Ahsoka returns to her makeshift quarters. It's nearly not the time she usually tends to sleep at but at the same time… if war had taught her anything it's the ability to fall asleep anywhere and at any time. Sleep is important. It's a gift she uses to get Anakin and Rex to rest as well by falling asleep on them so they have no chance of moving around and end up getting some rest as well. 

Ahsoka uses the force to close the door behind her before she drops into the bunk and closes her eyes. She falls asleep in under five minutes. 

The next days of their journey fly by without any major events. Obi-Wan and she take turns in sleeping and remaining in the cockpit to make sure everything is going smoothly and by now she has lost nine rounds of Dejarik against Obi-Wan and won one of them because when they played that round Obi-Wan basically was asleep. She really needs to get better at this game. 

They’re in the Hune Sector when they have to stop at a small moon for fuel but except for some of the breathing and living things on the moon that give Ahsoka the creeps, things run smoothly for them on here as well. For now.

“It will be nice,” Ahsoka says, with her legs thrown over one armrest of the pilot seat she’s seated in after they got back onto the ship, “to not engage into a crash landing for once.”

Obi-Wan doesn’t look at her while piloting the ship off the moon but she can see his lips quirk into a small smile anyway.   
  


◇  
  


They crash the ship. Technically, it’s not their fault (this is what Anakin must feel like), but they crash it anyway. It happened when they were just about to jump back into hyperspace when _something_ or _someone_ hit them. They jumped into hyperspace anyway but soon enough had to drop out of it again and then they crash-landed on this stupid planet.

Ahsoka fishes her backpack out of the crushed room of hers, while Obi-Wan ducks under the doorway of the cockpit and slightly stumbles into the angled doorway. They scraped one side of the ship against a rock and it got stuck in total imbalance. 

“Are you alright, Ahsoka?” Obi-Wan asks before drawing his lightsaber and cutting a circle into the wall of the ship so they can get out. Ahsoka turns around to him, with her backpack slung over her shoulder and nods. “Just hit my head, but it’s nothing serious. What about you, Master?”  
Obi-Wan just waves it off. Well then. He then offers her a hand to pull her up from where she’s leaning against the wall that’s almost as flat as a floor is supposed to be. She graciously takes the hand he’s extended to her and pushes herself off the wall with one foot so she can jump right through the circle and out of the shipwreck. 

Her feet hit a soft underground. Swamp-like. As she looks around she registers huge trees and palms. There’s a leaf next to her that is almost as tall as her. The smell is almost overwhelming and she scrunches up her nose. 

“We’re not telling Anakin about this,” she mutters to no one really but maybe to all of the galaxy, except Anakin, at the same time. He would never let them live it down.

“Where are we?”

Obi-Wan comes to stand next to her. He pulls the robe off of his head and looks around as well. 

“The navicomputer was still intact,” he mutters, “and it says we’re on Kartaneia. It’s a neutral planet.”

“How far are we off course?”

“We’re in the Oktos Sector right now,” Obi-Wan answers, “it’s not too far from Nar Shaddaa. There’s a landing point close by where we should go to.”

“You say neutral,” Ahsoka muses, “but still… very criminal, right?” They’re far too close to Hutt Space for this to be some law-abiding planet. 

"Precisely. Keep your hood on and do not leave my side. Do you understand?"

Ahsoka nods and after Obi-Wan stares at her, she adds a _"Yes, Master"_ and that seems to satisfy him enough. Obi-Wan pulls the hood of his robe back over his head again and then they get going. 

There are several times Ahsoka has to restrain herself from cutting through the leaves that keep towering over her head with her lightsabers. She doesn’t because Obi-Wan would scold her for it who’s rather gently patting the leaves out of his way. However, she _really_ wants to do it. The air is humid and reminds Ahsoka of countless missions to planets like this and even though the smell can get quite penetrative she still prefers these planets to cold planets. Just like Anakin, she doesn’t do well with the cold and if their missions end up being on said cold planets Obi-Wan usually has to put up with both of them whining about how it’s way too cold to actually function. So, she will deal with being on Kartaneia with the grace of a Jedi even though the plants are taller than her. One day she will be taller than these plants. Her head is still throbbing a little bit but other than that she’s truly fine. Obi-Wan managed to crash the ship just fine—seems like he really does _not_ want to die in a ‘completely undignified way’. 

Ahsoka, for the time being, is content with just following Obi-Wan through the jungle they crashed into, as long as there are no wild animals anywhere near. They have to hurry up to get Anakin back, no time to engage in lightsaber fights with animals on jungle planets. And since Obi-Wan seems to be content with not talking as well, she just keeps quiet too. 

They walk for a while until they reach the end of the jungle, but considering how they don’t run into any more trouble it’s alright. It’s the least they deserve for even having to make this stop. No more trouble on Kartaneia for them, Ahsoka thinks. _Please,_ let them have this one. Just this one time. After this things can go back to going wrong all the time because they’ll be together again and as long they’ll stay together they’ll be _fine._

The landing point that reveals itself as soon as they step out of the jungle reminds Ahsoka of Florrum, that one time she went with Master Plo to track down Boba Fett and Aurra Sing. The underground here is sandier, stonier with dust hanging around in the air. There are a few houses, trapping a street between them that’s overflowing with people and at the end of the street, it parts into a semi-circle where bigger houses on stilts assemble. Behind the square, there are tall walls which rise towards the sky. She doesn’t ask about it because it seems hardly relevant to them.

Ahsoka is, of course, always attentive as it is expected of her but especially when moving around in crowds with smugglers and bounty hunters. She remembers losing her lightsaber to one of them still too vividly. Granted, she was younger then, but still. She stumbles a bit when Obi-Wan suddenly tugs her to the right, into one of the narrow alleys between the houses. No one else is there, so Ahsoka assumes it's safe to speak. Still, she keeps her voice low. 

“How will we get our hands on a new ship?” she asks. 

“We will gamble for it,” Obi-Wan answers. There’s a somewhat cheeky grin pulling at his lips. Ahsoka’s eyes widen and she falls back against one of the house walls, while Obi-Wan keeps pacing back and forth in front of her.

“But I don’t know how to gamble.”

This is enough to make Obi-Wan stop in his tracks and regard her with one of those looks he normally only reserves for Anakin. 

“Obviously, I will take care of that”, he says dryly.  
Ahsoka chews at her inner cheek. “Anakin didn’t tell me you know how to gamble.”  
“Oh,” Obi-Wan chirps, “Anakin doesn’t know.” 

“Where did you learn how to gamble… and stuff?”

Obi-Wan hesitates for a moment. “My master taught me,” he finally says, “We started with Sabacc and went on from there.”

And oh, Ahsoka can read the room and obviously she knows too. Who doesn’t know about Master Qui-Gon Jinn who died during the liberation of Naboo? It was all the Younglings would talk about for days. When she first became Anakin's Padawan she didn't only feel the sheer pressure of being trained by the _Chosen One_ itself but also becoming the newest member of a lineage that spans from Anakin to the famed Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Count Dooku out of all people and then Master Yoda itself. Sometimes she still feels like it's making it hard to breathe. However, seeing Anakin hit his head on his speeders when slipping out from under them and Obi-Wan trip over invisible things when he's tired out of his mind… make it somewhat easier. 

“Oh.” Ahsoka fumbles with the sleeves of her robe, picking at some of the loose ends. “I’m sorry for what happened,” she offers quietly. 

Obi-Wan glances down at her. “Did Anakin tell you?”

“No, uhm, I mean everyone knows the story,” she mumbles, “Anakin didn’t tell me anything, though. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” He smiles at her, albeit a sad one, that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. When he smiles, the genuine ones, the small wrinkles around his eyes deepen—they don’t this time.

“You should teach me your tricks,” Ahsoka says at an attempt to—she doesn’t know what she wants to accomplish honestly—maybe just make his sadness go away for a moment. “Passing down the knowledge.”  
“And skip Anakin?” With this one Obi-Wan’s smile seems more genuine. “He would be terribly jealous.”

“I can keep my secrets,” she chirps and tilts her head into his direction. 

“You can start by watching closely, dear one.” 

Ahsoka bites down at her lip but nonetheless embraces the warmth that blooms in her chest at Obi-Wan calling her that. "If anything should happen and we get separated, you go back here."

He jerks his head into the direction of the main street and they move out of the alley again. 

They continue moving through the crowd, with Obi-Wan’s hand hovering close by her back, not quite touching but she knows that if something were to happen he’d get a hold of her in seconds. 

At the end of the main street just before the huge square, there’s a building that has neon letters scattered across one front of the building. It’s the name of the establishment Ahsoka assumes but since it’s in Huttese she can’t tell anything beyond that. Oh, to have Anakin with them now. He could read it for them. 

They stop just right in front of the door. “Give me your lightsabers,” Obi-Wan mutters. 

“What?” Ahsoka hisses back. 

“Just do it. Trust me.”

Begrudgingly, Ahsoka unclips her lightsabers and shoves them into Obi-Wan’s outstretched hand fast enough, so no one else gets to see them—and then they enter the bar. At least Ahsoka assumes it’s a bar. The perfect place to gamble. 

As soon as Obi-Wan opens the door they’re met with loud noises from the musicians that are playing in the bar and the people growling and shouting. With most of her life happening on the battlefield she should be used to loud noises by now but that doesn’t mean she has to like them any more than she likes this whole scenario. The paint, which Ahsoka is surprised there was even one in the first place, is coming off the walls, revealing thick stone underneath it, and the air in here is just as humid, and more stifling on top of that, as outside which… can’t be a good thing. 

They don’t get very far into the bar before someone is stepping into their way. 

“I have never seen you around here,” a Trandoshan, and Ahsoka winces back at that, growls at them in Galactic Basic. She can’t imagine that Kartaneia would be a place people would like to settle down on permanently. 

“We just need a ship,” Obi-Wan responds, dropping his Coruscanti accent in the best way possible, while also ignoring the indicator that the Trandoshan wants an answer as to where they’re from. 

“Well, do you can pay for it?”

“What about gambling for one?”

The Trandosha takes a step to the side and gestures at a table somewhere in the corner of the bar. His grin is predatory when he says: “You’re welcome to join us if you have something equally… valuably of course.”

 _Oh,_ and it clicks just as Obi-Wan pulls his robe to the side to reveal the three lightsabers clipped to his belt. She can’t believe he’s going to gamble with their lightsabers after him being the one who _always_ preaches to Anakin and to her that “If one of you loses your lightsaber one more time I’m going to glue it to your hands”. Maybe, Ahsoka gets why Anakin is the way he is. Sure, Ahsoka _knew_ Obi-Wan could be just as reckless and the first one to agree to Anakin’s equally reckless plans if it would just involve the two of them but this is really something new. Of course, Anakin isn’t here to see it. Obi-Wan would never grant him that kind of satisfaction. 

“That would be enough,” the Trandoshan muses.  
His eyes dance over to her for the first time since he got in their way. "And who is this lovely lady," he warbles, eyeing her a tad too intensely, "not your daughter, I suppose?" Ahsoka feels sick. The memories of the Trandoshans who hunted her for fun deeply engraved into her memories. Obi-Wan puts an arm in front of her and pushes her behind his right body half. And if she were to be his daughter, then _what_? Of course, she’s not going to say that, but she will certainly think it. 

"My protégé," he answers brusquely. When he touches her arm for a second, he sends a wave of reassurance through the force. 

“And—”  
“That is all,” Obi-Wan says, “that you need to know.” And his tone is so final and vaguely threatening it even shuts up the Trandoshan. He just snarls at them for a moment and Ahsoka's hands indistinctly wander to the lightsabers that aren’t there, but then he deflates and leads them to the table he previously pointed at. He turns around and Ahsoka would very much like to kick the backside of his knees and watch him crumble to the floor. 

The other four criminals, bounty hunters or assassins, Ahsoka doesn't even want to know, who are seated at the table eye them suspiciously. The Trandoshan flops down onto the other free chair and uses his right feet to drag another chair to the table. Ahsoka assumes she won't be getting a seat then. They exchange some hushed words in Huttese before they gesture for Obi-Wan to take a seat. 

"The lightsabers, where did you get those?" Is what one of the others asks. That at least solves the mystery of what they were talking about. "I agree, they're worth my ship." He's a human. Maybe from Coruscant as well. Not that Ahsoka cares. She just wants to get off Kartaneia and find Anakin. 

Obi-Wan pushes his robe aside to reveal a blaster clipped to his belt. "Can't defend themselves from all sides these Jedi."

Ahsoka gawks at that and then quickly proceeds to hide her expression behind her hand, she puts in front of her mouth. She’s very much aware of Obi-Wan’s distaste, to speak generously, of blasters, so having him carry around one is… surprising. She bets he got Cody to get him one and that Obi-Wan will probably dump it as soon as they get out of here. It seems to satisfy the criminal, whose ship they’re trying to win, enough for him to nod. He draws up a card out of one of his many pockets. 

“There’s a shipyard on Kartaneia,” he says, “prevents them from getting stolen. You’ll get in with a card and the ship is yours. It's right behind the big square.” So that’s the thing hiding behind those walls. Honestly, it’s not a bad idea, Ahsoka has to admit. Getting their ship stolen is not exactly a thing that doesn’t happen frequently to them.

Obi-Wan nods. "We'll be playing Sabacc," announces the man.

The cards get laid out. Ahsoka watches the game unfold.

Ahsoka is watching from the other side of the table when Obi-Wan lays down another card. She doesn’t know much of Sabacc but she assumes it’s going well for Obi-Wan since the criminal’s lips are twisted into an ugly snarl. 

With her arms crossed in front of her chest, she's standing close enough to a pair of Duros to overhear them talking about the said shipyard. 

"Haven't had my ship stolen in months," says the female Duros, turning a card she holds between her fore-and middle finger back and forth. "It's hell on all the other planets."

The other one launches her into a story about Felucia and stolen ships, while Ahsoka lets her attention drift back to Obi-Wan.

They will get another ship and then they will rescue Anakin, no one will stop them from getting to Nar Shaddaa—Ahsoka will make sure of it. For a moment it’s all going well and then everything is suddenly going wrong. Why can’t they get lucky for once? There’s a Quarren sitting at the bar who just raises his head the very moment someone in front of the gambling table steps aside and reveals Obi-Wan sitting there. And then suddenly the Quarren is standing up, drawing a blaster and then he’s shooting at Obi-Wan. There are some words following in Quarranese. Ahsoka’s heart stops for a moment before the adrenaline kicks in.

The blaster doesn’t hit Obi-Wan, though, because he leans back in his seat just this very second. Intentionally or not it saved his life. Instead, the bullet goes directly to the Trandoshan’s chest, who got them to the table, and all chaos breaks loose. Obi-Wan is up in a split heartbeat, extending both hands, calling his lightsaber back to him in one hand and then for the other—she doesn’t pay attention. She catches him nodding at her—she knows the way back to their spot. 

Ahsoka extends both of her hands as well and her lightsaber and her shoto blade come flying back into her hands, taking down some of the cards and glasses from the table. Clipping the shoto blade to her belt, while holding onto her longer lightsaber on tightly, she draws the hood of her robe deeper into her face and then she slips away in the crowd while the shooting and shouting rages on. A bullet hits a glass next to her head that was previously being held by a Twi’lek. 

Ahsoka slips by the pair of Duros she heard talking about the shipyard, slipping her fingers into the woman's pockets and angling the shipyard card out of it. They need it and she can be sorry later. Before she can notice, Ahsoka makes her way through the crowd to one of the backdoors of the bar to escape the drawl that has ensued by now. Since she’s really used to situations like this, there’s a strange calm taking over her, even with all the adrenaline. Without knowing where Obi-Wan is, she leaves the bar—he will probably already be back at the spot they agreed to meet at if they got somehow separated. He might scold her for being late. And potentially for stealing someone’s ship. There’s that as well. But they need it so she’s hardly to blame for this—perhaps instead it’s Obi-Wan, who’s at least partially to blame for this since this Quarren either just wanted to start a fight or had some unfinished business with Obi-Wan to take care of. It wouldn’t be unusual for someone to have some unfinished business with Obi-Wan. She will just ask once she gets back.   
  


◇  
  


Ahsoka sneaks over the roof since the brawl escalated from bar to the outside of the street. Even just being meters above the ground makes breathing easier, especially since it has started to rain while they were in the bar. The smell also isn't as bad when the rain gets a chance to wash it away. It has been horrible on Kartaneia for her with all her enhanced sense. She drops off the roof right where she's supposed to meet with Obi-Wan again. Dropping down in a squat like position she instantly raises her arms when she finds the tip of a lightsaber pointed at her. Her robe clings to her body.

"Ahsoka," Obi-Wan hisses, before turning his lightsaber off. "What took you so long?"

Ahsoka stands up and then pulls the shipyard card out of her pocket she stole from one of the criminals in the bar. 

"I got us a ship," she says. 

"Looks like we have the option of choosing now."

Before Ahsoka gets to ask Obi-Wan pulls out a card very similar to the one Ahsoka stole. She grins at him.

"Master, stealing a poor man's ship," she says, "I can't believe you would do that."

Obi-Wan rolls her eyes at her; his expression a mixture of fondness and exasperation. 

"Do spare me, Padawan."

"Well, let's see who got us the better ship," she chirps. "Before they find out we got something that belongs to them."

"Precisely."

“So about that Quarren…,” she says while trailing after him to the shipyard. Obi-Wan looks over his shoulder.

“I will not be talking about this.”

Ahsoka shakes her head. Always so elusive her Master’s former Master.  
  


◇  
  


The shipyard is being controlled by droids and Ahsoka can certainly see why one would need these cards to get into this. The walls are high, not high enough to keep two Jedi out if the really wanted in, but the cards make it easier. And they deserve easy. One of the droids deactivates the plasma shields that prevent just anyone from getting into the shipyard after Ahsoka showed it her stolen card and they enter. The cards are holographic and have the ship's numbers and official information on them. 

"I say we see who got us the better ship," Ahsoka grins and then she takes off to find their potential new ship before Obi-Wan can protest.

Thankfully there are currently not many people around to shipyard to see her strolling somewhat aimlessly around until she finally finds the ship. 

In the end, they end up taking the ship from the guy Obi-Wan stole the card from. Since the ships are about the same level when it comes to speed, the thing that actually settled it for them was the fact that Obi-Wan's victim is a spice runner. They had silently agreed to steal his ship, Ahsoka had left her card behind on the muddy ground and now they're standing in their new and freshly stolen ship.

"He was cheating at Sabacc anyway," Obi-Wan mutters. Ahsoka looks around.

"What about the spice?"

Obi-Wan pushes the boxes outside with a swift use of the force. Looking at his belt, Ahsoka notices that the blaster is gone. "Let them soak in the rain for a while," he says, and presses a button upon that the ramp begins to close, "Now let's get off this planet."

“Couldn’t agree more, Master,” Ahsoka chirps. "Just let me check something before we take off."

Sometimes, as Anakin had taught her, people, more precisely smugglers, would put tracking devices in the department of the power systems to ensure they could always find their ships and this one did too. She sees the small light blinking from where she's sitting under the floor of the ship. The small sphere is nestled somewhere between the wires and boxes. With her goggles on, Ahsoka reaches out with her hand, closes her eyes and seconds later the tracking device comes flying into her hand. When she straightens up again, Obi-Wan is squatting down at the edge of the hole she’s currently in.

“Found the tracking device,” she says. Obi-Wan just activates his lightsaber, holding it away from his body and Ahsoka takes it as the invitation to just—throw the tracking device against it. It buzzes and hums and then it’s gone. 

“I suppose we’re ready to go now?”

Ahsoka jumps out of the hole and Obi-Wan pushes the floor plate back in place with one foot. 

Making their way to the cockpit, Ahsoka tilts her head into Obi-Wan’s general direction and says: “You know, Master, Anakin would probably think things so far have gone excellently.”  
Obi-Wan returns her look and sighs. 

“Now you surely must get why I am so worried about this.”  
Ahsoka grins and gestures back and forth in the empty space between them with one hand. 

“For what it’s worth, I think we make a good enough team.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/swnnskywalker) i post about sad sw things and sometimes terrorise the tl with screenshots of unfinished wips or you can find me on [tumblr](https://curse-of-men.tumblr.com/)


	2. the midnight city

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan and Ahsoka land on Nar Shaddaa and begin with their search for Anakin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for mentions of blood

The sun is starting to set when they arrive on Nar Shaddaa. Nar Shaddaa has a lot of landing platforms but they choose the one that's the furthest away from the immediate ground. Ahsoka closes up the ramp while Obi-Wan is already halfway across the platform when she catches up to him. And he’s with a guard.

"You have to pay to leave the ship here," a guard informs him. Obi-Wan waves his hand around and Ahsoka knows what is about to follow.

"You don't want our payment."

"I don't want your payment," the guard repeats. A slightly dazed look settles in the guard’s eyes. 

"And you don't want to know our names either."

"I don't want to know your names either."

Ahsoka tries to hide a grin behind her right hand, thankful for the fact that she’s trailing behind Obi-Wan so he can’t see her. Still, she frowns. As soon as she’s sure the guard can’t hear them anymore she makes a few fast steps to catch up with Obi-Wan. 

“So, what happens when they realise we haven’t paid the fee?” Ahsoka asks. 

“They’re going to trash the ship, of course,” Obi-Wan answers. 

“What?” Ahsoka basically jumps. “And how exactly are we planning to get off this planet, then?”

“With a new ship. If whoever we stole this ship from does find us in the end, they’d better be not able to trace any of our steps,” he says, “if the ship doesn’t exist anymore, they can’t trace us.”

“And then what?” Ahsoka asks, “are you going to gamble with our lightsabers again?”  
Obi-Wan lets his lips quirk into a quick smile. “Well, it worked out fine the first time, didn’t it?”

“You may or may not have been responsible for a bar brawl.”  
“Well, I didn’t expect anyone on Kartaneia to know me.”

“So you _knew_ that Quarren, after all.”

“Possibly.”

Ahsoka huffs. “You’re impossible,” she mutters and she could swear Obi-Wan’s shoulders tremble in silent laughter. Sometimes she can’t believe she has to put up with Anakin _and_ Obi-Wan. Which immediately brings her back to Anakin. Anakin, who is hopefully somewhere on this planet or else she doesn’t know what she’s going to do. Looking over the edge of platform there’s a shudder creeping up her body when she stares at Nar Shaddaa which crawls over the planet. It’s dark down there—darker than Coruscant at least. She already doesn’t like it here and wishes to get away as soon as possible. 

“What now?”

“We’re going to find somewhere to stay and then we will see… how to find Anakin.”

“I’m not sure I want to stay in any hotel on this planet,” Ahsoka mutters. 

“I don’t suppose you want to sleep out in the streets.”

“No!” comes her immediate response. 

The elevator that brings them down onto the ground is on the outside and open which essentially causes Ahsoka to almost get blown away by the air hitting her face. When she steps onto the street, she as gracefully as possible, straightens out her robe and tries to regain some dignity.  
“That was… unsafe.”

She doesn’t want a lecture coming in from Obi-Wan now, because she already knows what it would sound like. Something along the lines of ‘ _Oh, you think this unsafe? Wait, until we get to the real fun’_ and she doesn’t want to hear it. Even if he would have a point. She doesn’t want it. 

“These are going to be the worst few days of my life,” Ahsoka whispers under her breath. The only thing that can actually somewhat save her mood if they find Anakin on this planet. If not… she doesn’t want to go there. Ahsoka sticks almost impossibly close to Obi-Wan while they make their way through the crowd in the streets. Any closer and she'd be holding on to the sleeve of Obi-Wan's robe like a lost youngling. 

“Do you know your way around here?”, she asks quietly, because Obi-Wan seems pretty determinedly making his way down the street, which is filled with basically as many people as on Coruscant. There’s a shoulder to bump into every next second. 

“I was here,” Obi-Wan says, “once. When I was searching for Ziro on Nal Hutta. This was a layover before going back to Coruscant.”

“Convenient, I guess.” Ahsoka looks around. The buildings on the sides of the street are cramped, standing so close to each other it seems suffocating. “So, you have someplace in mind?”

“Yes.”

They move further and further away from the main street with every step they take and Ahsoka really doesn’t like it too much. But if Obi-Wan thinks he knows where they are going—who is she to say anything about it?

When they finally stop in front of a high and narrow building Ahsoka has the intense urge to breathe air on Naboo for three days straight. The hotel, she assumes this is what it is, is named ‘ _The Fireplace’_ and Ahsoka doesn’t think that sounds very promising for a hotel out all places. 

“No need to look so skeptical, Padawan,” Obi-Wan says, sending her some sideways look as they stand in front of it. “It is perfectly safe in this establishment.”

“I believe you.” For most parts she does. The black doors swing open when they take one more step towards it and they step in. For such a tall building the ceiling is incredibly low and Ahsoka almost feels like it’s going to collapse onto her at any given moment. Lovely. To be fair, she does have to admit that it doesn’t look too bad here. She definitely has seen worse and slept at infinitely worse places, so she’s not going to complain about this one, even if she would like to. 

“Come on, Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan chuckles. “We won’t be staying for too long.”

The droid behind the counter watches them attentively already and the side of its head begins to blink when Obi-Wan finally steps towards the counter. 

“Welcome to the Fireplace,” the droid announces, “what can I do for you?”

Obi-Wan gets them a room, pays in whatever they accept on Nar Shaddaa. It surely won’t be in Republic Credits. 

“Why didn’t you buy us a ship with that? You know, Master, instead of losing our lightsabers in an attempt at winning us a ship.”  
They step into the hallway after Obi-Wan finishes up paying to climb up five floors. The hotel doesn’t have an elevator, but after nearly six days of hyperspace travel moving around isn’t exactly a thing that Ahsoka doesn’t _not_ welcome. 

“It was not enough for a ship, by far. And also, I was going to win,” Obi-Wan says. 

“You said he was cheating.”  
“I still would’ve won.”

“Sure thing.”

The room itself isn’t too bad and there's even a balcony. Even though the lack of two beds is concerning because this surely means Obi-Wan will be insisting on her sleeping and not him. She can see the argument approaching like a dark storm cloud on the horizon and she also knows she’s probably going to lose. He can be just as stubborn as Anakin—that’s probably where her Master got it from in the first place, even when Obi-Wan pretends to be above such things as stubbornness. While Ahsoka drags herself towards the bed to throw her backpack onto there and then follow as well. Obi-Wan takes one of the armchairs by the window and immediately pulls a holoscreen out of his own bag. 

Ahsoka sits on the bed with her legs crossed and leaning back on her arms for support. 

“Can you feel him, Master?” she asks. She doesn’t… which worries her, to say the least. She’d hoped she could as soon as they landed here. Obi-Wan’s head snaps up from where he’s pondering over something on the holoscreen. His eyes are sad, even though he tries to hide it behind a comforting smile. 

“No,” he admits and Ahsoka didn’t want to get her hopes up, but she still feels something in her stomach turning ashen at that revelation. “But that doesn’t mean we might not find something here that’s going to help us find him.”  
“But on Coruscant you said you just can’t feel him because he’s so far away,” she says, “and now we’re in Hutt Space. Shouldn’t at least one of us supposed to feel him by now?”

 _Shouldn't you be able to feel him by now,_ is what she actually wants to ask him, but she feels like that would just be cruel.  
“Ahsoka, calm down.” Obi-Wan puts the holoscreen down. “His shields might be up or something might be shielding him away from us.”

Ahsoka fiddles with her fingers in her lap. “But he’s always so…”

“Overwhelming in the Force?”

“Pretty much,” Ahsoka says quietly. “I’m just worried about him.”

Obi-Wan sighs. “I’m worried about him too, Ahsoka.” And then he stands up and moves through the room to sit down besides Ahsoka on the bed. Ahsoka creeps forwards on the bed until she’s sitting shoulder to shoulder with Obi-Wan. “But believe me, if Anakin would be dead, we would know. I know, it’s not very comforting, but he’s not dead.”

“Promise me that we’ll find him?”

“Ahsoka, you must know—”, he interrupts himself, when Ahsoka drops her head onto his shoulder, to tense up for a second before he relaxes again, “I promise you, dear one.”

She knows it’s not very jedi-like, but she really can’t help herself. Anakin has been hurt before, came close enough to dying more times than she count but she was always with then, or Rex or Obi-Wan, but now he’s alone and they can do nothing but hope and pray to the stars that they’ll find him in time. 

They sit like that in silence for a while and it’s comforting enough. They sit like that in silence for a while until her neck starts to hurt and she has to crack it into the other direction for some relief. The snap of her bones seems to startle Obi-Wan as well who violently blinks around the room as if he was close to falling asleep. She shouldn't have moved then.

Ahsoka stares out of the window only to be met with approaching darkness. The night settles across Nar Shaddaa. 

"You should get some sleep, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan gets up. "It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

Ahsoka eyes the bed and then she eyes Obi-Wan. "What about you, Master?"

To her disapproval, he just waves her off. 

"I will get some rest eventually."

"Eventually?" Ahsoka raises one of her markings at him. 

"Yes, you don't have to worry."

Ahsoka kicks her backpack off the bed and then crawls back to the top of the bed. She pokes at one of the pillows.

"These are almost as sad as the ones in the Temple," she says. Obi-Wan spares her an amused glance. Then, she adds: "The bed is big enough for two people."

She leaves it at that. This hardly would be the first time for them to sleep in the same bed, bunk or cold cave. Normally, Anakin would be present as well. With Obi-Wan resuming his spot in the armchair, Ahsoka slips under the covers. She has a feeling he won't be getting any sleep tonight, at least not voluntarily. The holoscreen is illuminating Obi-Wan's face and that's the last thing Ahsoka sees before she falls asleep.

◇

As soon as the light starts hitting their hotel room, Ahsoka wakes up with the sun prying her eyes open. When she rolls around to lay on her back and pat at the other side of the bed, there's nothing. She expected as much but it still makes her frown. Sitting up with a sigh and putting her arms around her knees, Ahsoka spots Obi-Wan in the same place he was in when he lied about getting some rest. Since he's smaller than Anakin, more lithe than Rex and the rest of the men, Obi-Wan hasn't as much trouble folding himself in the armchair. Ahsoka slips out of the bed and drags the blanket with her, which faintly makes her remember the nights when she was still a lot smaller and dragged her blankets to Anakin’s room after one of too many nightmares. On light feet she moves through the room, throws the blanket over Obi-Wan and then she steps out onto the balcony. It's still early and the cold from the night makes her shudder slightly. 

Ahsoka drops down into a cross-legged position. She straightens out her back and puts her hands on her knees before she closes her eyes. Over the years meditation has started coming more easily to her and she falls into the rut as easily as she falls into step next to Anakin and Obi-Wan. 

While she meditates she tentatively reaches out to the force bond she shares with Anakin, not knowing if no answer or an answer where it's clear that her Master is in unthinkable pain would be worse. Instead, she gets nothing, like Anakin doesn't exist at all. Maybe he's not conscious—this is what it has to be. If they won't find him on this planet, Ahsoka feels like this would be the end of it. Even though Obi-Wan said they would make it work somehow, she can't imagine who they'd be able to spare to go look for Anakin. The Jedi Order isn't exactly dealing splendidly with this war, even when Obi-Wan and Anakin pretend otherwise in front of her. Sometimes Ahsoka doesn't know whether it's because they think she can't handle it or if they simply _still_ want her to shield her away from all of this as much as it's possible. 

As she sinks deeper into meditation Ahsoka can feel herself relax, her bones aching a little less. When she became Anakin's Padawan the thing she least expected was to actually grow to enjoy meditating. She needs a clear mind if they want to accomplish something today; something that brings them closer to Anakin. 

Ahsoka snaps her head around to the inside of the room where her enhanced senses pick up some rustling. And she was so careful to be quiet… and still, Obi-Wan is waking up way too early. One of her knees cracks just lightly when she stands up to return inside the room again—one of too many crashed ships where she had to crawl out of a smoking wreck, she assumes. Obi-Wan’s knees crack, hers shouldn’t be cracking, she’s sixteen after all. 

Obi-Wan may be still hidden away under a blanket but he’s awake now and fixates her with a slightly judging glare as if it’s actually forbidden to take care of him. 

“You said you’d get some rest,” Ahsoka says, arms crossed in front of her chest. 

“And I did,” Obi-Wan answers, and Ahsoka bristles. Now he’s just being complicated on purpose. 

“I meant get rest somewhere where it doesn’t damage your back.”

Obi-Wan has the nerve to actually roll his eyes at her. His knees crack considerably louder than Ahsoka’s when he stands up and neatly folds the blanket on the armchair. Apparently he thinks just stretching his arms will do enough. 

“I see you were up already.”

“Just meditating,” she says, sitting back on the bed with a bounce. “So, what is the plan for today?”

Obi-Wan sits down on the armrest of the armchair with one leg pulled up there as well. “Well, finding a lightsaber might be the best way to start. If we find Anakin’s lightsaber here, I’m sure we’ll be able to track down whoever saw Anakin the last time.”

“I’m guessing finding a lightsaber here wouldn’t be too hard,” Ahsoka muses. She lost her lightsaber to some criminal on Coruscant once already and for all that talk about how _her lightsaber is her life_ Anakin and Obi-Wan lose their lightsabers awfully often too. And with so many Jedi fallen to the war, picking up a lightsaber somewhere shouldn’t be too hard. 

“You’re correct, Padawan.” Obi-Wan strokes his beard. “As long as we keep a low profile and stay together, we’ll be fine.”

“And as long as they don’t recognise us as Jedi,” Ahsoka adds. No one in Hutt Space particularly likes having Jedi around, especially not when they go around digging in the Hutt Space’s criminal underworld, searching for their own. And Obi-Wan nods. No one in Nar Shaddaa’s underworld would sell a lightsaber to a Jedi. To some shady figure who would pay a small fortune for a lightsaber—more likely. 

After forcing a ration bar down her throat—she’s so so sick of them—and making sure Obi-Wan eats one as well, they get ready to leave. With her robe thrown over her body once again, Ahsoka touches her montrals. Anakin poked at them once and told her they make her look like a tooka when they were on some stealth mission that had them crawling around in some canal system. They smelled like these things for at least two days and Rex kept a minimum distance of three feet for that time. She almost smiles at the memory. They get their commlinks ready, on some frequency that should make it impossible enough for someone else to access it before they finally leave the hotel room behind. 

◇

“While you were sleeping—,” Obi-Wan begins, as they make their way in what Ahsoka assumes will be the even shadier districts of Nar Shaddaa. 

“And you weren’t,” Ahsoka interrupts and shrugs her shoulder when he glares at her for a moment, she’s just listing facts, before she waves her hand around for him to continue talking. 

“I was making sure we would actually know where to go tomorrow,” Obi-Wan finishes dryly. 

“I’m sure you could’ve moved to the bed after getting your research finished.”

“It’s surely not that worthy of your attention, Padawan.”  
Ahsoka just frowns, staring straight ahead, while Obi-Wan leads them through the crowd. They’re surrounded by the huge towers of Hutta Town with neon signs reflecting everything and blinding her even in bright daylight. One should think after living on Coruscant she should be used to it by now.

“So where are we going?” she asks, “not in one of these huge towers, I’m guessing?”

“Rather in between them.”

Ahsoka raises her markings. The town structures that cramp between the huge towers of Nar Shaddaa’s capital don’t look very stable, nor like places where Ahsoka would like to spend too much time in. 

“They are called Skyslums,” Obi-Wan answers, “most business happens there. We’re going to find a smuggler there.”

“A smuggler.”

“Indeed, the alias is Torne. I got the information transmitted from Coruscant. He’s one of Nar Shaddaa’s most notorious ones.” 

“And he will meet with us?”

“He won’t get the chance to refuse a meeting.” 

“So, we’re going to spring him?”

“More or less. We don’t want the man to dislike us but we certainly don’t want him to flee the scene either.”

Obi-Wan leads them towards one of the smaller buildings and Ahsoka finds herself staring up at the platforms that span between the buildings—there seems to be one on every floor. It almost reminds her of Coruscant but where Coruscant is large and wide, Nar Shaddaa is cramped and restrictive. But, everything to get back Anakin. At this point Ahsoka is just complaining for the sake of complaining because all three of them were supposed to be on shore leave on Coruscant right now, preferably sitting in Dex’s dinner, coaxing Obi-Wan into paying for them like he does all the time—at this point, it’s just formality. Instead, Obi-Wan and she are _technically_ stranded (because their stolen ship is probably gone by now) on some smuggler’s moon searching for Anakin, who either could be here or on some planet very far away. 

Obi-Wan explains to her that the huge buildings don’t really belong to anyone since there are multiple establishments in one. Probably belongs to the Hutts like basically everything else in Hutt Space. 

“I don’t like this,” Ahsoka mutters, “I really don’t.”

Obi-Wan touches her shoulder for a brief moment, while they stop into the building through the open doors. “I don’t like it either, Padawan.”

Well, that somewhat soothes her she guesses, while it also lets more and more anxiousness spike through her veins. It must be because Anakin is concerned. She knows that both of them feel better, safer, more whole when Anakin is with them. At least it’s still the two of them and as long as that is ensured, Ahsoka will be not without all hope. 

“Any of this,” Obi-Wan adds quietly enough so that Ahsoka only picks it up because of her enhanced senses. As she’s sure that it wasn’t exactly intended for her to hear, she stays quiet and doesn't comment.

Ahsoka tries to keep her distance to everyone they meet while navigating through the entrance hall. The ceilings are higher than Ahsoka expected them to be with red radiating at them from all over the place. All Ahsoka ever associated with red was it being the colour of the Sith she’s only ever heard stories about but left enough impact on her to ingrain images of them deeply in her brain. Red also reminds her of Mortis—the volcano she found Obi-Wan in after the Son took ahold of Anakin and the Son itself, with his red eyes and red markings and sinister laugh. She shakes just thinking about it. There’s a bar on the right side of the entrance hall that seems to be the main attraction of said floor. Ahsoka scrunches up her nose when the smell of alcohol hits them. This is just as bad as when they were stuck on Kartaneia with the overwhelming scent of swamp now being replaced by alcohol. 

Obi-Wan leads them toward one of the three elevators at the end of the hall. 

“I think we should spend a whole week on Naboo after all of this,” Ahsoka mutters, “or Alderaan.” 

Obi-Wan gives her a funny look after which she feels compelled to add: “Where the air is clean.”

“I’m not so sure your next campaign will lead you to either of these planets,” Obi-Wan chuckles lowly. 

“A little bit more enthusiasm, please,” Ahsoka complains as they step into the elevator and Ahsoka pushes enough force at the people behind them, without appearing overly suspicious, so that they’re the only ones who end up in said elevator. Obi-Wan shakes his head at her chidingly, though considering how he doesn’t say anything Ahsoka will just assume he’s glad that she did it anyway. At least they can talk freely with no one else being around. 

“You let me do the talking, young one,” Obi-Wan says, standing in the middle of the elevator, posture as straight as always, while Ahsoka leans in one corner of it. “We don’t want to upset him, do we?” The back of the elevator is made from glass and gives Ahsoka the opportunity to stare out of the elevator and down into the city under them. All the colours of the neon signs blur into each other. 

“What is that supposed to mean, Master?” Ahsoka asks, even though she already knows the answer to that one and the look he gives her just confirms that. He thinks she’s too much like Anakin when it comes to those things, prone to attack and ask questions later. They do that because most of the times it does work. It may get them in trouble but it does generally work. Obi-Wan talks a lot before he starts fighting but he usually ends up in trouble too. So does it really matter how fast they get there if… in the end all of them end up in the same place? Ahsoka doesn’t think so but she’s not about to try and explain this to Obi-Wan, who in return would only too happily engage in proving her wrong. He just likes to bicker, whether it’s with Anakin, her, Commander Cody about the controversial topic whether he can take care of himself (he can not) or their enemies.

The elevator rushes up to the twenty-third floor in mere seconds and comes to a stop with a light jolt. 

“You let me do the talking,” Obi-Wan says again and Ahsoka gives a sharp nod. 

“Of course, Master.”

The doors swing open and they step out of the elevator. “What if he tries anything?”  
“He won’t,” Obi-Wan says and reassuringly waves a hand through the air. They always say that and then later on the same day it’s suddenly “Snips, I need you to come and get us” or “Ahsoka, there was a situation and you need to pick us up.”  
Ahsoka will just not tell him that to disrupt the confidence Obi-Wan has in this one of their ventures. This hallway is dark unlike the entrance hall and she feels like she’s being watched by some ominous entity that might just steal her away and into the dark at any given moment. Great. She can’t wait to get off this force forsaken planet already.  
“So,” she drags the word out, “do we have an appointment with that man?”  
Obi-Wan gives her a look over his shoulder and says nothing. Alright then, no answer. It’s going to be clear any minute now if they have an appointment or if Obi-Wan will just wing it by talking—as he does so very often. _The Negotiator._ What a sight it always is.  
  
They pass several doors before Obi-Wan stops at one of them and hits his knuckles against the door. A tall figure opens the door for them and instead of stepping into a dark room like Ahsoka expects it they step onto one of the platforms that Ahsoka has spent hours watching ever since they got here. They span around every wall of these buildings.  
“What can I do for you?” A tall man standing at the edge of the platform turns around to them. There are white tattoos sprawling all across his face, almost reminding her of her own markings, but in fashion they’re much more similar to some of the tattoos the men have. Like Jesse’s. The only difference is that Jesse doesn’t look that mean.  
The figure who let them in closes the door behind them and leaves Obi-Wan and her alone with the man they’re trying to make business with. “You must be looking for something if you knew that you had to come here.”  
The smile pulling at the man’s lips is not genuine at best and downright menacing at worst. Obi-Wan takes a step towards the man and holds one hand in front of Ahsoka to stop her from stepping forward with him.  
“We’re looking for a lightsaber,” he says, “and we were told that you might have one for us.”  
The man—Torne, Ahsoka remembers is his name or alias or whatever—crosses his arms over his chest.  
“What do you need a lightsaber for? They are rare weapons to come by around here.” Are they really, though?

Obi-Wan jerks his towards Ahsoka.  
“My protégé is looking for one,” he answers, tone sharp.  
“For what reason?”

“Do we need one?”  
“As long as you’re paying.” Torne grins at them, “I guess not.”  
“We can,” Obi-Wan says. Ahsoka doesn’t know how, but she will go along with it. Her Grandmaster must have a plan, at least some sort of plan. “I don’t assume you have them here with you?”  
“Of course not,” Torne chirps, his voice is deep and makes it sound all too strange. Something about the way his eyes dart around make Ahsoka suspect that that might not be the truth. Even though non-force users can’t access the force they certainly radiate some sort of aura force users can sense and if Ahsoka can sense that this man is lying—about something at least—then Obi-Wan can sense it too.

Torne has lowered his voice exceptionally by now and Obi-Wan has moved closer to him which is why Ahsoka can’t hear about what they’re talking anymore. But if Ahsoka can feel that something about him is off, then Obi-Wan can definitely feel it too. She steps from one foot to another, moving around helps, even though it’s a habit that makes Anakin and Rex nervous which is why she generally tends to repress it.

Ahsoka glances over her shoulder. She almost turns her attention back to Obi-Wan when something catches her attention. Some hooded figure peaks around the corner. They narrow their eyes at them and then they jerk their head into the other direction before they turn around and take off. Fast. Ahsoka looks back at the man Obi-Wan is still talking to, even though both of them already sensed that he’s lying about having a lightsaber. This is probably all out of courtesy. Or for the simple fact that he doesn’t want to have a gun pulled out on them after not buying anything. Obi-Wan, always so polite or careful. Whatever suits the situation the best. Ahsoka makes a split decision, not very careful, not very polite, and she turns around on her heels and sets after the hooded figure. 

“Ahsoka!” Obi-Wan calls after her but she’s already around the corner. 

She sets after the hooded figure, who’s jumping over the edge of the platform, away from the building, just as Ahsoka gains focus on them. Ahsoka bolts after them and before she has to the chance to think this true she jumps off the platform as well—not knowing what awaits her at all. Peering down while still falling she catches enough, just to land on a moving high train a second later. The stranger is already on it, moving on quick feet across the moving top of the train. Ahsoka regains her balance and sets after them. This isn’t her first chase across a very fast-moving object so this is hardly anything out of the ordinary. Whoever she’s chasing right now seems to be accustomed to this as well—their steps don’t falter for one second. 

Ahsoka doesn’t have to race across the train for too long. There’s a sharp turn that’s about to come up, but before they reach it, the figure jumps off the train towards the right where they land on top of a levitating holoscreen that’s playing some advertisement. It barely is impacted by their weight and not even when Ahsoka jumps after them. 

Ahsoka is almost sent flying off to one side before she balances out again and sets after the stranger that by now has already crossed more than half of it. At least the skylanes aren’t as busy as they are on Coruscant, Ahsoka thinks. The figure jumps off the holoscreen at the very end of it and Ahsoka follows quickly. With a push of the force she prevents herself from damaging her ankles indefinitely, softening her landing, because if she’s goes chasing after some stranger, the very least thing she can do when she returns to Obi-Wan is to not come with any injuries. He would never let her forget that. Ahsoka pushes through the crowd, ignoring everyone shouting after her when she hits their shoulders too hard or makes them trip while pushing them out of the way. She follows the person further and further through the crowds and through the streets. The streets get darker and narrower the further she goes. Obi-Wan will never let her out of his sight again after this.  
Ahsoka rounds a corner, hands gripping at the corner of the two buildings touching, to get some stability, pushing herself off the ground with one hand again and continues following the figure. There’s barely any crowd left at this point. Whoever this person is they sure know their way around here and they’re also quick on their feet. She doesn’t want to admit it but this is getting to her. 

They dash down a couple of stairs and Ahsoka just _leaps_ from the top of the stairs to the bottom of them. It gets her considerably closer to the one person she’s chasing, who seems to slow down anyway now. They have reached a wider street again and even though they’re way down into the city there’s still some light that reaches this place. The buildings are a little crooked, a little less threatening and unwelcoming. 

Ahsoka pants. Back on the ground at last. Definitely underground. Obi-Wan will scold the daylights out of her for this. Still, she somewhat feels safer around here than on one of these platforms high up in the sky.

The figure comes to a halt before a small shop and then give a mock salute. Ahsoka stares—a little dumbfounded. Well. Pressing her hands against her rips she takes some deep breaths, before activating the commlink. 

“Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan’s voice rings through to her immediately; she doesn’t even get to take a second breath. “What do you think you’re doing—”

“I was following a lead, Master,” she interrupts him to spare herself the incoming lecture. 

“What kind of lead could you possibly have gotten while I was talking to that man?”

“Maybe,” she admits, “it was more of a hunch.”

“A hunch, Ahsoka?” Obi-Wan’s voice rises in pitch ever so lightly. She can imagine pinching the bridge of his nose right now. “You can’t just go running off because of a hunch.”

“As if you don’t do the same thing, Master,” she mutters and then continues talking over Obi-Wan’s “ _I do no such things.”_ He can lecture her once he has gotten there. 

“I’ll send you the location,” she chirps, “don’t take too long, Master.”

Obi-Wan is about to protest but she shuts off the commlink and sends her location through. Even though he might be angry with her, he’s too curious (and maybe too concerned too) to just not show up. Ahsoka leans against a wall at the opposite street side, waiting for Obi-Wan while staying out of reach for whoever is waiting for her in that shop. One foot planted against the wall, she taps her fingers against her thighs. Technically, she’s supposed to be smarter than this, not chasing after strangers, not knowing whether they hold any valuable information at all but she did it anyway. It felt right like it might get them somewhere. 

Obi-Wan arrives not that much later. His robe swaying from where he approaches her quickly. She pushes herself off the wall and makes a few steps towards Obi-Wan, who’s already frowning at her from away. Oh, this is going to be fun. 

“Ahsoka,” he snaps at her, “ _what_ were you thinking? You can’t just go running off like that… especially not on a planet like this.”  
Ahsoka casts her eyes downwards. “I’m sorry, Master,” she mutters, “but I had a good feeling about this and it’s not like our other guy was getting us anywhere.”

Obi-Wan crosses his arms over his chest and regards her with one last glare before his expression softens again. “Well,” he says, “now that _both_ of us are here. Where are we going?”  
Ahsoka jerks her thumb into the direction of the small shop at the street corner. There’s no vibrant neon lights attached to it, just some warm lights that illuminate either side of the wooden door in the front. 

“If this gets us nowhere, you can lecture me all about it on our way back,” Ahsoka announces before she’s off the shop with Obi-Wan on her tail. She can imagine him rolling his eyes at her. She pushes the door open. There’s a bell that chimes. It’s a small thing but it brings her honest delight. 

The shop they find themselves in is small, kind of cramped, but it doesn’t feel half as shady as all the other places they’ve been to on Nar Shaddaa so far. Most of the shelves are stocked with an endless variety of things, Ahsoka would like to inspect more under normal circumstances but they’re here to find Anakin and there’s nothing else that matters. 

“You made it,” a voice chirps from behind a counter. Ahsoka immediately snaps her head around. “Took you long enough.” A Nautolan girl, who apparently has abandoned her robe by now, stands behind the counter, examining them carefully. 

“I had to wait for someone.” 

The Nautolan’s eyes are just as black as Master Fisto’s. Ahsoka always found that they look like they hold small galaxies in them—maybe hers only hold one small galaxy in them, after all, she seems considerably younger than Master Fisto. Rather she looks like she could be Ahsoka’s age. Her head tentacles aren’t nearly as long as Master Fisto’s too, only reaching past her chest a little bit. Ahsoka distinctively thinks about how the purple is a pretty colour with her tentacles growing slightly darker at the tips. There are some white markings on them. She blinks, with the Nautolan’s voice pulling her back to reality. 

“I can see that,” she says, “you know, Torne, the guy you were talking to, is generally trouble. It’s because he’s directly involved with the Hutts, never goes well for the small people.”  
“And you have more valuable information and less trouble for us?” Obi-Wan asks, pulling the hood off of his head. His hair is slightly tousled, probably from chasing after her—definitely from chasing after her. 

“Tell me what you’re looking for and I can tell you.”

“Why did you lead us here in the first place?” Ahsoka asks while Obi-Wan takes another step in her direction. There’s a tooka curling around Obi-Wan’s feet and when Ahsoka looks back to the counter there’s another two on the surface. They are sweet. 

The Nautolan shrugs. “It felt like the right thing to do.”

Ahsoka narrows her eyes. Such a sense of righteousness for a place like this. 

“You don’t seem like you belong here,” she adds, “and don't take it personally it but strangers who come to Nar Shaddaa rarely don't cause trouble for the rest of us, because why would you come to Nar Shaddaa if not looking for trouble?" She laces her fingers together and puts her elbows down on the counter. "The faster you get away again, the less trouble will follow. And I thought, why not help the strangers?"

"And yourself as well, I assume?" comes Obi-Wan's dry voice. The Nautolan cocks her head to the side, a sharp grin pulling at her lips. 

"Of course, I can't just give my services without receiving any payment." She sighs in a theatrical way and shakes her head ever so slightly. "What a terrible way to run a business that would be."

Ahsoka snorts. Now Obi-Wan seems way more interested in this than her. Both of them stand directly in front of the counter now. The Nautolan grins.

"So, what are you here for?"

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka exchange a quick glance before they turn their heads back to the Nautolan. 

“We’re looking for a lightsaber,” Obi-Wan answers. 

“A lightsaber, huh?” The Nautolan rests her underarms on the counter. “That sure is an interesting thing to want.”

“Well, do you have any?” Ahsoka asks, probably sharper than Obi-Wan would want her to. The Nautolan eyes Ahsoka with her huge eyes as if she already regrets luring them here and normally Ahsoka would try to be a little more civil if someone is already—more or less—kind enough to help them but they don’t have that time. 

“Why are looking for one?” she instead asks, while the last tooka that remains with her and is not concerned with Obi-Wan, crawls on top of her arm. “Not to pry but playing Jedi isn’t exactly a thing should do around here. Gets you killed.”  
Ahsoka winces and the Force immediately floods the room in reassurance. 

“I can assure you,” Obi-Wan interjects, “we’re not trying to play Jedi.”

Oh, what irony.

“Revenge then,” the Nautolan decides and Ahsoka isn’t about to disagree with that. _Revenge isn’t the Jedi way._ And in the way Obi-Wan begins to shift, tells Ahsoka that he would love to correct the Nautolan on this and therefore Ahsoka takes the last step towards the counter that separates her from it and nods. 

“Yes. A one-time thing, really.”

“I see. Well, at the end of the day it’s not my business.” With one hand she pushes the tooka on her arm back on the counter and she turns around. “Wait a minute.”

She vanishes in a room behind the counter and then it’s only Obi-Wan, the three tookas and she. 

Since neither of them really want to discuss their strategy or Anakin with the Nautolan only one room away from them, Ahsoka angles her body in a way that she can pat the tooka’s head that has found a liking in sitting on Obi-Wan’s shoulder apparently, curling its tail around her Grandmaster’s neck. 

“They like you so much, Master,” Ahsoka chirps, “they are so cute.”

Obi-Wan gives her a wry look. “We’re not bringing back a tooka to Coruscant, Ahsoka. There’s plenty of them on Coruscant already.”

It was worth a try. Maybe she will anyway—smuggle one on the next ship they’re going to have to steal. She crouches down and swoops the other tooka that has settled at Obi-Wan’s feet up in her arms to put it on the counter as well. They’re still very small, making tiny noises and maybe she’s enjoying their presence just a little bit too much. But who can really blame her for this?

When the Nautolan returns, it’s with a wide box in her hands that is secured with a bunch of locks and passcodes. 

"These are all the lightsabers in my possession," the girl announces, opening the box and turning it around so that Obi-Wan and she can look at them. There are four of them and Ahsoka doesn’t even want to know how they ended up with the Nautolan in this little shop on Nar Shaddaa. She really doesn’t want to know how this girl possesses four of them and some apparent crime lord doesn’t possess a single one. 

"They don't belong to you," Ahsoka snaps, out of instinct really, and Obi-Wan puts an arm on hers. 

"I don't see any Jedi around they could belong to!"

Well, at least that tells Ahsoka that they’re good enough at hiding their own lightsabers. Obi-Wan shoots her a warning look and Ahsoka shuts down. 

"Excuse my protégé," Obi-Wan interjects calmly. "May I look at them?"

"As long as your protégé doesn't touch them."

Obi-Wan still can’t be bothered by the tooka on his shoulder when he picks up the first lightsaber, even when it rubs its head against Obi-Wan's cheek. She wishes Anakin were around to see this. Ahsoka peers at the lightsabers one by one when Obi-Wan inspects them. They don't need to say it. None of the lightsabers belong to Anakin. After putting the fourth and last one down, Obi-Wan asks: "Is there any other place where we could find a lightsaber?"

The Nautolan is silent for a while. Well, now that’s just suspicious. Ahsoka probably shouldn’t have gone with the revenge story since for that just about any lightsaber would do. They still get an answer.

"The reigning Hutt family here is holding one of their big auctions tomorrow evening," the girl says, "apparently there's some pretty big stuff involved. When they say big there are good chances a lightsaber might be an option."

"More than a lightsaber, perhaps?" Obi-Wan presses and Ahsoka knows with the way the Nautolan suddenly squirms that he's pushing the Force at her. To see if she's lying or not.

"You seem to know more than I do."

"Well, what do you know?"

The Nautolan shrugs. “Maybe, I’ve heard some whispers,” she reluctantly admits. 

“So tell us!” Ahsoka puts a hand down on the counter, making the two tookas on it hiss at her, which Obi-Wan gently pulls off again. The Natuolan shrugs her shoulders.  
“I might’ve heard some people say that the Hutts are cutting deals with the Separatists again,” she mutters, “has been a long time since they did that.”

"They're calling the Seppies here?" Ahsoka shrieks. Now, this is just great. Just great. Things couldn’t go well for them one single time, could they? "Why not try making deals with the Republic?"

"You're a funny one," the Nautolan says while patting one of the tooka cats, "the Hutts are a crime family. The droids don't care but the Republic? They wouldn't bring them here. Wouldn't wanna have them attempt to bring back some morality to this place."

Out of the corner of her eye, Ahsoka can see Obi-Wan grimace and she tries not to smile. A little too late for that, she thinks but doesn’t say anything. Not that Obi-Wan and she are here to bring down the Hutt family of this planet, no matter if they’d like to or not, they’re just here to get Anakin back. And then they will leave and never look back. 

“Anyway, there have been some people saying that the Separatists are coming here,” the girl continues as if Ahsoka never interrupted her in the first place, “and if they’re coming here, it’s probably something big. Not that they’d come here for just a lightsaber but…,” she trails off. 

She closes the box with the lightsabers again and locks it again. “They’re holding these auctions in the west tower of these two huge towers in Hutta Town. They belong to them. Tomorrow evening, can’t miss it.”

“Thank you for your help,” Obi-Wan says, and then he reaches for a pocket inside his robe and slides a few coins across the counter. Not Republic credits for sure. “I assume that should be enough for your… information?”  
The girl shuffles through the coins, kicks them around the counter with her fingers before she smiles. “Always glad to help. If only all strangers would be as generous.”

If Obi-Wan paid the girl generously that now definitely means they’re still the ship that will have to get them off this planet. Oh, how fun that is going to be.

“Well,” Obi-Wan says, “we’ll best be on our way.”  
“Of course.” The Nautolan nods. And that’s the cue for Obi-Wan and Ahsoka to leave. Ahsoka watches with fondness as Obi-Wan takes the tooka that was still resting on his shoulder and gently puts it back on the counter. They turn to leave. 

"If you need any more info," the Nautolan calls after them, both arms resting on the counter with her three tooka cats swirling around her, one of them is climbing onto her shoulder as she speaks and another one is biting at one of her tentacles. "you know where to find me. Always here.”  
Ahsoka looks over her shoulder. "Unless you're out in the street leading strangers on a merry chase." The girl smirks at her.  
"Yeah, unless i'm doing that. But you kept up good enough. Engaging with strangers has to be a little bit of fun as well. I had to get your attention after all."

That definitely worked, but Ahsoka is not about to tell her that.  
Ahsoka then turns around and Obi-Wan has already pushed the door open when she adds: "I hope you find your friend before they do."  
Neither of them asks how she managed that. Maybe a lucky guess.  
_They_ may already have found Anakin, Ahsoka thinks grimly, but she doesn’t say that. Instead, she nods and then she follows Obi-Wan out of the door. 

◇

In the evening on the next day, they find themselves in front of the tower that belongs to said reigning Hutt Family. It’s pitch-black with neon signs radiating from all over it. It makes her eyes hurt. Obi-Wan stands at the edge of the platform while Ahsoka sits at it, letting her feet dangle over the edge. They watch the tower across from them.

  
“So, how do we get in there?” Ahsoka asks. He must have the answer to this since she spent last night in the bed alone _again_ with her waking up to Obi-Wan folded into the armchair _again._ Her robe waves around her legs when she leans forward to put her elbows on her knees. Obi-Wan squats down next to her and points at the dark ventilation grille that almost vanishes among the dark of the tower. "That seems…," she looks from the potential entry to Obi-Wan, "small."  
"For me."  
"Master, no," Ahsoka says.  
"Remember when you sneaked aboard the ship when we went to rescue Master Piell?" And _oh,_ Ahsoka knows what is about to come.

  
"You already put yourself through one of these before, why not do it again?" Obi-Wan sounds way too cheerful, as he pats her shoulder. "I will get in over the roof."  
"Why can't I go with you?"  
"I will have to take a detour over the command center."  
"Take me with you."  
"No," he says, "if something happens in the command center, can't be the two of us in there."  
"But—"  
"Just like the for the mission in the Citadel I didn't exactly plan on you being here so—"  
"This is different," Ahsoka protests, "Master Windu allowed me to come this ti—" She interrupts herself and slowly glances to Obi-Wan who seems far too pleased with himself.

He's wearing that same expression Anakin wore when he finally got her to admit to the fact that she was, in fact, stealing his lightsaber sometimes before she officially started her Jar'Kai training. Obi-Wan extends his hand and mere seconds later the ventilation grille flies away, revealing a narrow ventilation duct. He sends the grille flying down twenty-nine floors and Ahsoka leans over the edge of the platform to watch after it.  
"Have fun, my dear." Ahsoka rolls her eyes.  
"So I will just crawl a while until you find me?"  
"More or less. Try getting into the higher floors, it's more likely for them to keep prisoners there but I will let you know once I know where they’re holding him," Obi-Wan says, “if they are.”  
None of them wants to think about it but there still could be the chance of Anakin not being in this tower even though none of them wants to think of this possibility. Anakin _has_ to be here.  
"Alright."  
"Be careful, Ahsoka."  
"Aren't I always, Master?" Obi-Wan sighs and he looks almost miserable for a moment, it makes her add: "I will."

  
"Good." Obi-Wan lets his hand rest on her shoulder for another moment and then he leaves. Great. Ahsoka looks around on the platform. That no one is here especially not in the middle of the night seems rather suspicious but she won't curse it by complaining too much about this. She debates trying to aim her jump in a way that will make her fly directly into the ventilation duct but that would hurt too much. So—Ahsoka jumps up and takes a few steps back. The distance between the platform and the tower is hardly of any concern to her. Ahsoka has crossed greater distances with just a jump. She jogs to the edge and pushes herself off with her feet. The wind hits her face for a moment and then her body hits the outer wall of the tower. Ahsoka curls her fingers around the edge of the opening and pushes her feet flat against the wall to give herself a push to lift herself up and into the ventilation duct. In her first year as Anakin's Padawan crawling through ventilation ducts wasn't that bad, she was a lot smaller, less muscular and it wasn't a problem. Now she begins to understand why Anakin and Obi-Wan hate it so much.

  
The ventilation duct is narrow enough for her to hit her elbows against the walls while she crawls forward laying on her stomach. When she reaches the first junction that leaves her with the option of actually going up a floor her elbows are already slightly bloody.  
  
Ahsoka has climbed six floors when she decides to take a break and just sit in the duct for a moment. She presses the button of her commlink.  
“Master?” she whispers into it. “Are you there?”  
“Affirmative,” comes his response, “where are you?”  
“Thirty-fifth floor.”  
“Wonderful.”  
“Where are you?”, she repeats her question and in the very same moment Obi-Wan drops down into the ventilation duct junction inches away from her nose, making her reel back just ever so slightly.  
  
“Dramatic, aren’t we?” she teases. Obi-Wan just sighs as if he hates everything about this, but he doesn’t exactly object to what she told him so that’s a win for her. Well, squeezing herself into the tiny entry at the side of the tower wasn’t fun either. Like Obi-Wan, she would’ve rather taken the wider entry on top, but _no_ , he didn’t want her anywhere near the command center just in case anything were to happen. The implication of ‘ _at least one of us needs to be able to get Anakin’_ was clear enough to her. She didn’t agree with any of it.

  
“I’ve really had enough of crawling around in these.”  
“Me too, Master. Me too.”  
“Where to go?” she asks Obi-Wan, who infiltrated the command center of the tower after all. “Another floor down.” And with that Obi-Wan vanishes down the floor she just came from. Of course, she follows. They both sit at the ducts opposite of each other with the vertical tunnel that leads them down, down, down, between them. He gives a sharp nod towards the left ventilation shaft and Ahsoka promptly swings herself into that one and starts crawling into that direction.  
“They have droids stationed in the hallway they’ve been keeping Anakin in,” Obi-Wan explains in a low voice to her as they crawl through the ventilation duct. Ahsoka breathes out. So they’re keeping him here. Thank the Force, they _will_ find him. Her knees and elbows hurt and are already scrapped open but it doesn’t matter anymore because Anakin is here. Still, it feels like someone is rubbing sand in them and that repeatedly so.

  
“Battle droids? They’re not already here, are they?” Ahsoka turns her head towards Obi-Wan only for a split second and it’s enough to hit her head against one of the edges when they get to another junction. She hisses, drawing back immediately.  
“Assassin droids.”  
“The sentinel ones?”  
"Precisely.”  
Obi-Wan points toward the right and Ahsoka continues her crawling with Obi-Wan on her tail. “I will drop down into the hallway,” Obi-Wan says, “take care of the droids so we don’t have to deal with them when we’re getting Anakin out.”  
“We’re going to split up again?” Ahsoka doesn’t even try to hide the disapproval in her voice.  
“I’m going to be only one hallway away, Padawan.”  
“Fine,” Ahsoka mutters. “I will get Anakin, you get to chop up the droids.”

  
“Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan says. His tone is disapproving.  
“You take care of them,” she corrects. When they reach another junction Obi-Wan points her to the left.  
“You just keep going,” he says, “at the junction you take another turn to the left and then you should be there. If anything gets in your way, you let me know.”  
“Of course I will.”  
Ahsoka looks at Obi-Wan one last time before she crawls into the direction he told her to and he takes off in the other direction.  
Her knees and elbows keep hurting as she crawls through the duct. Ahsoka just wants a shower. A warm shower to make her bones ache a little less. She follows Obi-Wan’s directions and after the next turn, she can see a faint light at the end of the ventilation shaft. She breathes out. _Finally._ Finally, they will get Anakin back.

  
When she reaches the end of the shaft, she manages to somehow turn around so that her feet are facing the ventilation grille. Ahsoka kicks the ventilation grille out with both of her feet and listens as it hits the ground and echoes back at her from within the ventilation shafts. She pushes herself forward with her feet pointed towards the ventilation grille. One last push with her hands and she ends up flying out of the ventilation duct. _Finally_. Landing in a squat Ahsoka looks around in the cell. In the middle of the room there’s a containment field set up that’s currently holding Anakin captive and there’s a heaviness around her chest that just… _falls_ off. She missed him. The field buzzes and hums. Anakin doesn’t look like he’s very aware of her presence in this room. 

“Master,” she breathes out. Ahsoka breathes out, bone-deep relief floods her, when she leaps forward, activates her shoto blade and whacks it at the generator that upholds the containment field Anakin is trapped in. Ahsoka barely has the chance to deactivate the blade and clip it to her belt before Anakin crashes into her arms.  
“Master, are you okay?” Ahsoka asks, a little frantically perhaps. The way he falls right into her arms makes her drop back on her knees again, cradling Anakin’s head in her lap now. There are wires who are no longer a functioning part of his prosthetic arm. Oh, he will be mad about this.

  
“Snips?” Anakin manages to croak out, pulls a weak grin at her and then he promptly passes out. He has been worse before, close to dying—Ahsoka tries not to remember that one time Anakin crashed a ship and they found him choking on his blood and Rex had to pull her away while Obi-Wan and Kix just tried to stop the bleeding somehow. Anakin doesn’t know she was there, she doesn’t intend on telling him. Somehow Anakin still thinks she hasn’t seen the horrors the war has sprung on him. Anakin complains to her all the time that Obi-Wan tries to hide too much of his pain from him, even though he does exactly the same to her. When she’s mature enough to not complain about it, she knows it’s because just like Anakin wants to protect her from just about everything that might harm her in this world, Obi-Wan wants to do the same thing with Anakin.

She puts her hands at either side of his face. He may be passed out but his force signature is still steady—he’s not dying. The containment field must’ve made it impossible for them to sense him. She tries to release some sort of comfort into the Force, _anything_ that could somehow help with his pain. Ahsoka takes a deep breath and then she presses the button on her commlink that will notify Obi-Wan; he can come to get them now. The doors are still closed and since there isn’t an alarm blaring through the corridors right now their break-in must have gone unnoticed so far even with Obi-Wan slicing droids in half outside the door. This is the only reason why Ahsoka allows herself to remain rested on the ground with Anakin’s head still pillowed in her lap. At least his breathing is rhythmic and steady, but other than that he has never looked worse. With the sleeves of her robe, she dusts the dirt off his cheeks as best as she can. There’s dry blood on his right temple that must stem from some sort of head wound. Even unconscious Anakin winces when Ahsoka gently touches that spot of his head where his hair sticks together with blood. Great, she thinks. There’s also a bruise forming right beneath his left eye. Obi-Wan will certainly not be happy about this. Focus, she tells herself. _Stay calm._ As if it wouldn’t have been enough to electrocute him. That would’ve knocked her Master out—no need to beat him up too.  
  
Obi-Wan still hasn’t reached them by the time that Anakin regains his consciousness. Anakin groans, when he opens his eyes again, one hand immediately reaching for his head. She can only imagine the enormous headache he must have.  
“How do you feel?” she asks, even though she can already imagine the answer. Ahsoka supports Anakin in sitting up and manoeuvres one of his arms over her shoulder so he can lean onto her for support.  
“Like my head is going to explode,” Anakin rasps out. He turns his head towards her and she smiles at him. It feels like an enormous weight has been pulled off her chest now that she has found him. “What are you doing here?”  
“Isn’t that obvious?” Ahsoka asks. “We’re here to rescue you, Master.”  
“We?” Ahsoka will forgive her Master for being a bit slow, after all, she doesn’t know how hard they hit his head.  
“Obviously,” she snorts, “Master Kenobi really didn’t want me on this mission.”  
“Of course he didn’t.” Anakin lets out a small laugh that turns into wincing and groaning immediately after that. “I think my ribs might be broken,” he adds.  
“Can you stand?”  
Anakin nods even though the face he makes when Ahsoka helps pulling him to his feet suggests otherwise.  
“Master Kenobi should be here any minute,” Ahsoka mutters, maybe more to herself than to Anakin since he isn’t going to be any help while they try to make their escape.  
“What is taking the old man so long?”  
Normally Ahsoka might’ve taken a jab at him for this but for obvious reasons—broken ribs are never fun—she refrains from doing so.  
“Probably already taking care of some of the droids they put in your hallway,” she answers.  
“Droids, huh?”  
Even now Anakin has the nerve to look smug—he really can be a handful and still she wouldn’t want it any other way. She’s not about to tell him that the Separatists are about to come to Nar Shaddaa to get their hands on him because that would only make him even more unbearable.  
“Be quiet, Skyguy,” she mutters. 

Anakin is heavy. He's always been heavy but the less energy he has the heavier he gets. Right now, he's basically leaning onto her with all his weight and she's trying really hard to keep her legs from giving in. She’s still smaller than him—one day she might outgrow him but that day hasn’t come yet. One hand reaching for her lightsaber, she's relieved when the doors open and it's Obi-Wan who comes running inside and not some assassin droids. The right sleeve of his tunic is shredded and burnt. Upon seeing Anakin, seeing him _alive,_ utter relief in the form of the Force floods the room. His eyes widen upon seeing the blood on Anakin’s face and the few wires who stick out of his prosthetic arm.

"There are more assassin droids out there," he tells her without taking his eyes off of Anakin for one second. Ahsoka always hated the sentinel droids—she remembers them from when Artoo went missing and they almost got Anakin and her killed before their actual mission even began.  
"Anakin can't walk on his own," Ahsoka mutters, tightening her arm around his waist when he feels him slipping away. "And he's really heavy."  
Obi-Wan clips his lightsaber to his belt and promptly comes striding towards them. "I'll take him. You'll need both hands out there when they send another wave."  
Ahsoka gently tries to hand Anakin to Obi-Wan, who at one second without any support just _crashes_ into Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan wraps an arm around his waist and places his other hand at the back of Anakin's head.  
"I tried to escape," Anakin rasps out, "once or twice, then they put me in that thing. They didn't like it." Well, she should’ve guessed that.  
"Of course you did, Padawan mine,” Obi-Wan mutters and he sounds so so exasperated yet fond at the same time. It’s the effect Anakin has on him. 

Ahsoka turns to the door. She can hear the droids approaching and draws both of her lightsabers.  
"Well, let's get out of here," she says grimly. Ahsoka throws Obi-Wan and Anakin a mock salute and then she dashes out of the door. They can scold her later—both of them will. Now that they’re together again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took me way too long actually and i apologize but i still hope you enjoyed it nonetheless <3
> 
> \+ my [twitter](https://twitter.com/bIyIas)
> 
> \+ my [tumblr](https://curse-of-men.tumblr.com/)


	3. heartlines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finding Anakin they have to find a way to get off Nar Shaddaa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw for mentions of corpses (it's not graphic but there are corpses that get mentioned)  
> also warning for this being proofread at 4am, i don't think its too bad but who knows

Ahsoka takes a defensive stance upon entering the hallway. Her lightsabers are drawn and she deflects the first blaster bolt that they sent flying her way easily. There are three of the assassin droids who are aiming their guns at her. Ahsoka bolts at them. Before they fire at her, she starts taking even faster steps, her feet almost flying off the floor in a way that makes it possible for her to jump up on the wall for the last few moments that separate the droids and her. When she reaches them, Ahsoka pushes her feet off the wall and sends herself flying over the assassin droids. With her lightsaber outstretched she decapitates them in a matter of seconds. She’s close to getting her feet back on the floor again when something grabs at her ankle. Ah, must’ve missed one of their heads. The metallic hand wraps around her ankle and pulls her down with such force it sends her smashing into the wall. Her left shoulder explodes in pain but she lifts one of her legs amidst her throbbing head and kicks the last droid back to thrust her lightsaber forward and impale the assassin droid one it. Before she pulls it out of its body she frees it of its head with her shoto blade. She watches the lifeless piece of metal fall to the floor just as Obi-Wan steps out of the cell with Anakin leaning onto him. 

“Ahsoka,” he sighs. Only now she notices the cut on Obi-Wan's cheek. She wonders if something happened in the command center. 

“What? I took care of it. Now we can think for a moment where to go before they send another, much bigger wave.”

“It was still reckless,” Obi-Wan says. “They could’ve been right in front of the door.”

“But they weren’t,” she says, “and you don’t exactly have much room to handle a lightsaber right now.”

He could, she knows that even with Anakin putting all of his body weight on him, but if she can stop this necessity from arriving… she will. Obi-Wan sends another resigned look her way before he sighs, _again._

"Very well, at the end of the hallway there's an elevator," he says, "we're going to—"

"Run right into their arms?" Anakin pipes up.

"Hush Anakin," Obi-Wan mutters and Anakin shuts his mouth. Ahsoka grins, still twirling her lightsabers in her hands. 

“We’re going to get into that elevator,” her Grandmaster starts over again, “then we’re going to stop said elevator and—”  
“Oh, you’re going to make us jump out of it, aren’t you?” This time it’s Ahsoka who interrupts him, leaving Obi-Wan to sigh one more time but he nods nonetheless.

“The elevators are at the side of the building we have the best chance of getting away anyway.”  
“Honestly,” Anakin mutters, “how come you would scold me for coming up with a plan like this?”

Obi-Wan looks up to him. Even when they’re at the risk of meeting death many years too early in just a few moments, Obi-Wan and Anakin still find moments to become so engrossed with each other they no longer appear as two separate beings but rather as one single entity, joined in soul, mind and everything else that matters. 

“Because I thought about this,” Obi-Wan answers, “if you’d propose this I would tend to assume you didn’t think about this first, my old Padawan.”

“Haha,” Anakin comments dryly. “Let’s just get to the elevator before Snips here runs off again.”

“I can’t believe you’re trying to spin this on me now,” Ahsoka mutters. Actually, she can believe it just fine since this is pretty much one of Anakin’s favorite evasive tactics. Her Master grins at her and she’s pretty sure there’s a small part of his right incisor that’s missing. She chooses to not comment on that too. Obi-Wan lifts his one free hand to hush them both before they start bickering just like Obi-Wan and Anakin always seem to find the time for it. But as soon as Ahsoka starts bickering with someone they have no time and need to stay on the move. She sees how it is. However, Anakin has a point—they probably should get going and since Obi-Wan and Anakin have started to move again anyway she assumes that time has come. 

Obi-Wan leads them through the few hallways that separate them from the elevators; luckily without running into any more droids. Ahsoka doesn’t lower her lightsabers for a second though while sneaking through the hallways in front of Obi-Wan and Anakin. By now Obi-Wan has drawn his lightsaber as well, while still guiding Anakin steadily with the other arm. Peaking around another corner Ahsoka immediately draws back when she spots two Droidekas in the hallway before them. In front of the elevators. With her arm, she pushes Obi-Wan back who takes Anakin with him. 

“Droidekas,” she whispers, “but it’s only two of them. I can take care of that.”

“Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan starts but Ahsoka already draws her lightsabers expecting him to disagree with her. “Make it quick,” is what he actually says. 

“You know me,” she chirps and Ahsoka bolts around the corner. Taking out Droidekas had been intimidating when she first became a Padawan and they still remind her of Anakin’s and her first mission on Christophsis. However, by now she knows how to deal with them almost a little too easily. Anakin would tell her to not get cocky if she ever told him that to his face as if he isn’t the very definition of that.

They start shooting as soon as she’s around the corner and starts running towards them. Most of the shots miss her—the others she dodges easily. Deactivating her lightsabers, Ahsoka pushes herself off the ground, spins forward in a flip and then lands on top of one of the Droidekas. It starts to move under her like it’s trying to get her off but there’s no way of getting her off before the other Droideka turns to it and starts shooting at it. Lucky for her that their shields don’t protect them from their own blaster bolts. Before the Droideka breaks under her weight after being shot down Ahsoka jumps on top of the other one. This time she squats down and pushes her hand through the shield before activating her lightsaber on top of it. The Droideka gives out a second lightsaber. 

“You can come out,” Ahsoka calls and just as her Masters step around the corner she jumps off the Droideka with another spin forwards. 

“Dramatic, aren’t we, young one?” Obi-Wan throws the words she shot at him while crawling through the ventilation ducts back at her. She clips her lightsabers to her belt and gives a small salute. 

“I learned from the best, Master Kenobi,” she teases back and lets her eyes wander towards Anakin. Anakin certainly possesses the inability to get things done without adding anything dramatic to it. 

“Hey,” Anakin drawls. 

“Oh, don’t worry, Master,” Ahsoka says, “Master Kenobi here isn’t excluded from this… accusation.”

“He shouldn’t,” Anakin mutters but then he’s smiling at her and then at Obi-Wan whose exasperated eye roll doesn’t stop the wrinkles from forming around his eyes when he can’t bite down the small smile that forms on his lips nonetheless. And then the alarm starts blaring through the hallways, turning it red red red and they all collectively snap out of it. 

“To the elevators, now,” Obi-Wan snaps and then they’re moving. Ahsoka punches one of the buttons that call the elevator to their floor. 

Obi-Wan and Anakin catch up to her once the elevator doors open. And they reveal four more assassin droids right in front of them. Obi-Wan decapitates two of them in the fracture of a heartbeat, while Ahsoka ducks and goes for the legs of the remaining two, slicing them clean through with her lightsaber. When their bodies fall, without the support of their legs, she takes care of their heads. They all clatter to the floor of the elevator and they step into the elevator. 

Obi-Wan has his left arm securely wrapped around Anakin’s waist and his other hand at Anakin’s chest to keep him from falling over, and since she doesn’t have to fight against droids at the moment she presses herself against Anakin’s other side for the extra support. Force knows, he needs it. Standing over the destroyed droid pieces with only the elevator music playing is… awkward to say the least. Not that it’s awkward with them, they’re long past that time of their lives but all of this situation feels off. 

"At least the music is nice," Ahsoka offers into the quietness of the elevator. Anakin passes out again and Ahsoka sighs, pressing two of her fingers against Anakin’s temple so that his head tips off to the side, falling onto Obi-Wan’s shoulder. 

“Thank you, Ahsoka.”

“Always,” she chirps, carefully masking the worry that’s still rushing through her bones upon having Anakin pass out on them again. He’s not fading though—instead, his force signature has begun to buzz quietly again. The elevator rushes down the floors until Obi-Wan uses the force to push at the buttons, bringing the elevator to a sudden stop.

“Take Anakin, will you?” Obi-Wan says to her and slides him off into Ahsoka’s arms before he turns around and ignites his lightsaber. Ahsoka, after all those years, still watches in awe as Obi-Wan cuts a nearly perfect circle into the wall and uses the Force to pull it into the elevator and just like that Anakin regains his consciousness with a gasp it almost startles Ahsoka. Her circles never turn out as good. 

“Sorry,” Anakin rasps out, “I’m back again.” 

“Glad to know, Skyguy.” With Anakin leaning onto him with all his bodyweight now and not Obi-Wan anymore, she makes them turn around until she’s the one standing next to Obi-Wan, staring out of the hole Obi-Wan cut into the wall. They all stare down at the ground before them. A few floors, no problem. No problem at all.

"I will go first," Obi-Wan says, "Anakin you—"

"I can jump on my own," Anakin responds, voice clipped.

"Can you now? Ahsoka do make sure he doesn't trip and fall out of here before I reach the ground?"

Ahsoka grins, while Anakin huffs in a way that makes it clear to Ahsoka that he’s offended. "Of course, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan gives them a curt nod and then he jumps. Just like she did the other day Obi-Wan cushions his landing with the help of the Force. The street is deserted and seems to be on the opposite side of the main street the tower borders on. That’s good enough for them. 

“So, you want to jump or should I push you?” she asks, maybe a tad too innocently. Anakin gives her a dry look, the bruise under his eye is getting darker. They really need to take care of him as soon as possible. 

“You will _not_ push me out of the window, my Padawan,” he deadpans. It can’t really be referred to as jumping what Anakin does next. Rather than jump out of the circle Obi-Wan cut into the wall _and_ the elevator, he merely takes a step forward to _fall_ out of the window in a straight form. Ahsoka leans out of the circle to watch Obi-Wan use the force to stop Anakin from even touching the ground. He directs Anakin into his arms again and then Ahsoka jumps as well. Oh, how she can’t wait to tell Rex about this. This comes close enough to that incident where they threw him off a wall on Geonosis. As soon as she reaches the ground she can hear the alarms of the tower again. It’s pitch-black darkness outside by now. The night comes fast on Nar Shaddaa. 

“So,” she says. 

“Not the main street that’s for sure,” Anakin butts in. 

“Yes, thank you, Anakin,” Obi-Wan retorts, “for your observation.”

“Always glad to help,” he chirps, still slumping into Obi-Wan’s side. To everyone’s dismay, they are aware of the fact that they have to take a far more complicated route back to the hotel if they don’t want to get caught even if that means having to drag Anakin around for a longer period of time. 

“Well,” Obi-Wan sighs, “I know the way. Come on. Before they latch onto us.”

“You guide the way,” Ahsoka says, “and I’ll clear it.”

He glares at her and she shrugs. “Only if necessary, of course," she adds.

◇

Obi-Wan pushes the door to their hotel room open with the force, one arm still securely wrapped around Anakin’s waist, while Ahsoka is leaning against Anakin’s whole upper body with hers to stabilise him. Thankfully no one was around when they arrived with Anakin at the hotel. Night on Nar Shaddaa seems to be a thing only a few people like to enjoy outside. Her limbs ache because Anakin is _heavy_ and passed out close to three times on them while they were working on getting him back here without getting caught by the ones chasing after them. Obi-Wan’s right cheek is grazed by a cut and Ahsoka can feel her shoulder pounding from where one of the assassin droids pushed her against the wall. It’s nothing in comparison to Anakin who is just now regaining his consciousness after losing it one street away from their hotel. 

“Where are we?” Anakin groans, eyes fluttering open just as Ahsoka turns away from where she’s positioned against him to kick the door shut. It closes with a bang and Obi-Wan still has the nerve to make a displeased noise at that. They can discuss her manners later.  
“Bathroom,” Obi-Wan says to her, ignoring Anakin’s question whose head falls forward again anyway. 

They move, more like drag, Anakin into the bathroom where they gently lower him down towards the ground so he can lean against the bathtub. Apparently still not gently enough since Anakin hisses in pain before his tense muscles relax again. “Sorry, Master,” Ahsoka mutters. Obi-Wan sits down on the rink of the bathtub and uses two fingers to tip Anakin's head back by pressing them against his forehead. There’s no physical objection from Anakin but he at this moment probably couldn’t even fight a tooka. 

"This isn't necessary," Anakin groans.

"It very much is.” Obi-Wan grabs the showerhead before he uses the force to activate the water. And he has the nerves to scold her when she uses the Force to levitate more pillows across the room when they all end up in Obi-Wan’s quarters once again to find some sort of sleep. The longer the war drags on the more Ahsoka notices they are only able to find peace at night if they stick together. It really only started happening by accident but by now none of them really work on stopping these _accidents_ from happening. Nor the beds at the Temple or the bunks on the ships are exactly made for three people but they make it work. Somehow they always make it work. 

“Well, the water is cold,” Anakin whines a second later. “At least turn it warm if you insist on this.”

Judging by the steam that begins to dispense into the air Obi-Wan gave in to Anakin’s wish while running his fingers through Anakin's hair, washing the blood away. As expected, really. Ahsoka falls down next to Anakin on the floor, sitting in a cross-legged position, and promptly pries his right arm out of his lap. She will just have a look at whatever she can still save. His arm is a mess and she cringes just looking at it.

"Can you still move your fingers, Master?" she asks and watches Anakin stare down at his arm, for him to move only four of his fingers. So that could be worse. Four of five fingers aren’t too bad if Ahsoka looks at what state his arm is in. Anakin makes a miserable noise nonetheless. 

“The last additions I made were so good,” he says, “and now I can start all over again.”

Ahsoka pulls out a wire that’s broken in one spot, that still manages to make a faint buzzing sound when it disconnects from the rest of the arm and Anakin glares at her. The look she gives him is apologetic enough. 

“I can’t feel my index finger anymore,” Anakin comments dryly. Ahsoka assumes that must’ve been part of the synth-net neural interface that makes it possible for Anakin to feel with his prosthetic arm. The technology is way too complicated for her understandings of mechanics and at this point, she’s just doing damage control. 

“There’s not really much left,” she agrees and turns Anakin’s arm in her hands. The underside of it is burned, the metal has melted together in one black mass. “What happened there?”

“You don’t want to know, Snips,” Anakin sighs. She respectfully disagrees but she also doesn’t want to make him talk about when he doesn’t want to. Ahsoka respects that. 

“Well, at least you can still move three fingers,” Obi-Wan finally chimes in. Anakin turns his head to stare at Obi-Wan and gets some of the water in his face—not that this is a bad thing since there’s still blood and dirt all over it. 

“It could have been worse,” Obi-Wan adds after Anakin’s judgmental stare and the sigh her Master lets out signals that, to some extent, he agrees. It could’ve been a lot worse. Sith hells, they could’ve found him dead or he could’ve already fallen to the hand of the Separatists. None are options she wants to think about. If she really gives it enough thought Anakin has been captured one of too many times looking back on his last missions—first by Riff Tamson alongside Master Fisto and Senator Amidala and then by Dooku on Naboo. They really could’ve lost him that second time and it makes her sick to her stomach. Ahsoka tries to get most of the wires that aren’t damaged somehow back in place while Obi-Wan angles Anakin’s face towards him fully to finally wash away the blood. 

“Stretch,” Ahsoka quietly says in regards to Anakin’s arm and he understands immediately, stretching his arm out for her to pull his glove back on so that the mess of his arm is under some sort of protection at least. Some parts of his glove are burned as well. Once Obi-Wan has gotten rid of the blood on Anakin’s face, he turns off the water and they help him up again. Little water droplets fall down on his tunic and his hair curls even more than when it’s dry. Anakin looks younger like that, she notices. 

They help him back into the room again where they put him down onto the bed. Anakin doesn’t waste a second before lying down on his back. Ahsoka sits down next to him, pulling one leg close to her so that she can put her chin down on it, while Obi-Wan resumes his place on the armchair. 

“Alright,” Anakin says, his voice still raspy from probably not having enough water in days, “when are we getting off this planet?”

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan exchange a glance that Anakin thankfully doesn’t see. She glares at Obi-Wan in a quiet way of saying that he’ll get to explain this one to his former Padawan. After all, he wanted to abandon their ship, for logical reasons, but it still ended with them being stranded on Nar Shaddaa. The way he sighs and rolls his eyes tells her he understands perfectly what she wants from him.  
“About that,” Obi-Wan says and Anakin lifts his head just enough to stare at both of them. 

“What did you do? Don’t tell me you’re helpless without me.”

“We just rescued you, Master,” Ahsoka snaps without any real bite to her voice just for the sake of the arguing. 

“We decided to take a lesson from you and crashed our first ship,” Obi-Wan says at the same time. 

“I am flattered,” Anakin deadpans. “So where is the second ship?”

“We stole that one,” Obi-Wan explains, “and therefore had to abandon it upon coming here.”

“You two stole a ship?”

“No need to sound so surprised, my old Padawan.”

“We almost won one fair and square,” Ahsoka mutters and before she can realise what she said the words are out. She slaps her hand across her mouth but it’s already too late. Obi-Wan looks like he’s ready to leave at any given moment while Anakin’s eyebrows raise in suspicion. 

“I never thought you how to gamble,” he says slowly and then he actually makes enough effort to sit up with his underarms supporting his body. Eyes widened in realisation. “Why do you know how to gamble and why didn’t I know about it, Master?” 

“There are many things you don’t know,” is the only thing Obi-Wan says before getting up and moving towards the balcony. The slight tilt of his head indicates that Ahsoka is to follow him. 

“Hey,” Anakin calls, “wait a moment. What more things are there that I don’t know about?”

Ahsoka grins as she steps onto the balcony next to Obi-Wan and puts her wrists on the railing with her hands dangling over it. 

“Sorry for revealing your secret, Master,” she says, “you can still skip him when you teach me your tricks.”

“It’s quite alright. For now, I am more concerned with the question of how we’re getting away from here.” Obi-Wan strokes his beard thoughtfully while staring off into the distance of the skylines of Nar Shaddaa. “We can’t really drag Anakin onto some stealth mission to steal another one if we don’t exactly know where we’ll find one.”  
Ahsoka bites down at her bottom lip, gnawing at it while she thinks. The turmoil in her head has settled after finding Anakin, she’s much calmer now. Following the Jedi teachings, she probably should’ve been calm while searching for him too but… she’s still learning who’s going to blame her? Certainly not Obi-Wan who would not falter once in his way of following Anakin to the farthest corners of the galaxy. 

“I could go back to the Nautolan,” she says finally, “she seems to know her way around enough and if she can give us a specific place where we can get a ship…”

“We just steal another one,” Obi-Wan finishes her sentence. Ahsoka shrugs. 

“Pretty much. What’s one more?”

“Fine,” he says, “but not today. We can go tomorrow.”

“I think I should go alone,” Ahsoka blurts out. “And now don’t say I shouldn’t go,” she goes on and he looks resigned already, “I can handle myself and if Anakin should get worse…” she turns to peer inside the hotel room where Anakin actually seems to have fallen asleep or is at least close to falling asleep. The calm of his force signature definitely suggests it. “You’re capable of healing. I’m not.”

Knowing that he can’t really argue with that logic Obi-Wan sighs. That seems to satisfy him enough for the moment. 

“Well,” Obi-Wan says, staring ahead into the darkness, “you deserve some rest like Anakin does too. We’ll deal with the rest tomorrow.”

Ahsoka almost jabs him in the rips for this one. 

“You should get some rest too.”

Obi-Wan doesn’t give her an answer to that, instead, he just tilts his head into the direction of the hotel room and Ahsoka takes this as their silent cue to get back inside. After closing the door the balcony behind them Ahsoka turns to the bed where Anakin is still sprawled out on the bed. However, _not_ asleep. 

“What more things are there that I don’t know about?” Anakin repeats, looking a bit drowsy though, slowly blinking at them. Obi-Wan waves his hand at Anakin in a way of saying that it hardly matters right now.

“You should sleep, Anakin.”

Anakin tries to protest but Obi-Wan hushes him while sitting down on the armrest of the armchair. 

“Yeah, so speaking of sleep,” Anakin mutters and turns his head to Ahsoka, “am I right to assume that _he_ didn’t get any sleep?”

“You’re right,” Ahsoka says, “I’ve been trying to change that.”

“That is wrong,” Obi-Wan says at the same time, voice a little higher than usual as it always gets when he’s defensive, “I have been sleeping.”

“On the armchair,” she retorts and she thinks she can hear Anakin almost gasp faintly. 

“Well, if we’re doing everything tomorrow, you can come to bed.” 

“Ahsoka needs—”

For once it’s Anakin who hushes Obi-Wan. 

“I meant both of you.”

Ahsoka grins at Obi-Wan. “I’ve been telling you. Can’t beat the both of us.”

“Looks like I can’t,” he sighs. 

Ahsoka jumps towards the bed. “I get the middle.”

“Am I not the one who’s injured?” Anakin still scoots over until he’s lying on the right side of the bed. 

“Doesn’t mean you won’t move around and push _someone_ out of the bed.” 

Ahsoka pulls the blanket back and out from under Anakin’s body to slip under it. Putting his arms behind the back of his head Anakin looks over to her. Obi-Wan sits down at the other side of the bed just as Anakin says: “It happened one time.”

“I can assure you, Padawan mine, it happened more than one time.” He gives Anakin a long look. “We should look after your ribs before going to sleep.”  
Anakin makes a whiny sound which Ahsoka suspects followed Obi-Wan throughout Anakin’s whole apprenticeship. Though, she keeps that theory to herself. 

“No, we can do that tomorrow. I will just lay on my back.”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan says and Anakin stares back at him. 

“Obi-Wan.” They continue to stare at each other for a few more seconds with Ahsoka letting her eyes wander from one of her Masters to the other until Obi-Wan breaks eye contact. 

“Fine,” he huffs, “if you insist—”

“Oh, I insist,” Anakin quietly mutters, a smile pulling at one corner of his lips. 

“That, however, means,” Obi-Wan continues as if Anakin didn’t speak at all, “you’re not getting the middle all the more.”

Both Ahsoka and Obi-Wan already ended up with several bruises after being pushed out of the bed by Anakin more than once. Anakin just huffs when she turns around to him to lay on her side. While she normally likes the body heat that comes with sleeping close to Anakin she puts more space between them today since with his ribs still broken curling up at his side seems like a rather foolish plan. She can feel the mattress dip where Obi-Wan lays down next to her. Finally.

"That wouldn't have been too hard the other two days, wouldn't it?" Ahsoka whispers. As expected, she doesn't get an answer from Obi-Wan and is only met with his solid chest against her back. Anakin takes up at least two-third of the bed by just lying on the back and they have to deal with the rest of space somehow. Normally Anakin curls in and around people and fitting three people into a bed is really so much easier like that—with him sprawled out on his back when he is the broadest one of them; not so much. Thankfully Obi-Wan and she have mastered the art of sleeping in one bed with Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan wraps an arm around her waist and Ahsoka slaps at one of the pillows one final time before letting her head rest again. 

“Now, that wasn't too hard, was it?” Ahsoka mutters. 

“Hush, Padawan.”

Ahsoka falls asleep between Anakin and Obi-Wan and as always—it’s the best sleep she can get.

◇

There’s a familiar weight across her waist and a chin hooked over her shoulder when Ahsoka wakes up. Blearily Ahsoka looks over to Anakin who, for once in his life what it seems like, hasn’t moved in the entire night and is still peacefully asleep.

“Are you awake, Master Kenobi?” she whispers. Obi-Wan is always the one to wake up first, the one with the lightest sleep of them all. 

“Yes.” While he seems to be awake he certainly doesn’t make an attempt at moving but Ahsoka is okay with that. She likes the warmth, especially since Anakin still managed to hog the blanket in the night without moving an inch. “I probably should get going,” she says, “the faster we get away the better.”

“Yes, you’d best get going.” Obi-Wan lifts his arm from where it was wrapped around her waist and she can feel him roll over. Carefully not to disturb Anakin she sits up as well and levitates her boots over to the edge of the bed. She scoots over to Obi-Wan who has levitated a small pouch into his hands and hands it over to her as soon as she got her boots on.

“Here, if we’re stealing another ship we’re not going to need them for anything else.”

Ahsoka nods, taking it. “I will hurry.”

Obi-Wan looks at her like this isn’t the thing he wants to hear her say and therefore she adds: “And I will be careful, Master.”

Ahsoka jumps up from the bed to head over to the armchair where her robe is positioned and picks it up along with her lightsabers before heading straight to the door. Anakin doesn’t stir. Standing in the door frame she turns around to find Obi-Wan sitting on the bed next to Anakin, slowly moving him around until Anakin’s head is pillowed in Obi-Wan’s lap. Just like she did when she found him he puts his hands at either side of Anakin’s face. Of course, he will do what he can to take some of Anakin’s pain away. She slips out of the room quietly, leaving those two be. 

Ahsoka still remembers the way to the small shop of the Nautolan, even when the first time she got there most of her surroundings blurred together, falling victim to Ahsoka chasing after the shop owner. The sun is still rising across Nar Shaddaa’s skyline with the fog not fully having lifted yet. It surrounds her like a blanket. At some corners, she has to stop and think but as soon as she reaches the well-known stairs she skipped in a whole jump the first time, she’s basically already at her destination. Ahsoka suspects Obi-Wan only let her go because it’s morning now and not pitch-black night. If this were to be the case he would be at her side right now or Ahsoka would be the one sitting in the hotel room with Anakin. She makes her way down the street. Just like the other day the street is haunted by emptiness and Ahsoka wonders how the Nautolan keeps her business afloat if no one is ever here. But it seemed to go just good enough for her when they met her for the first time so she’ll have her ways. 

Ahsoka pushes the door to the shop open, not expecting anything in particular but definitely not expecting someone to _shoot_ at her. She flinches back violently. The blaster shot hits right next to Ahsoka’s head and makes it ring. 

“Hey,” she drawls. The Nautolan peaks up from behind the counter.

“Oh, it’s you,” she says. 

“Bad timing?”

“Is there ever a good one?” she says and finally straightens out her back. She’s considerably taller than Ahsoka, almost as tall as Obi-Wan. “Without your friend?”

“He’s,” and Ahsoka ponders on how much to reveal next but the Nautolan already guessed that something was up so…, “with our mutual friend.”

“I thought so.”

Ahsoka looks around in the shop only to slowly realise that it has been heavily messed up, with some shelves broken down. She grimaces. 

“I’m sorry,” she says lamely. What do you even say when some stranger helps you and then gets their life threatened in return? At least this is what she assumes has happened. “How did they—”

The Nautolan interrupts her, weaving one hand around in the air. “It wasn’t hard for them to connect,” she answers, “let’s just say, I’ve always had some sort of trouble with them.”

“You have problems with the Hutts?” Does she have a death wish, is what Ahsoka actually wants to ask her but refrains from doing so. She has known this girl not even for a day.

The Nautolan snorts. Ahsoka just continues to stare dumbfounded. 

“Do you want a drink?” she asks Ahsoka, before answering her question. Ahsoka slightly shakes her head but steps towards the counter nonetheless, while the Nautolan turns around and fishes a bottle and a glass out of the shelf behind her. It’s Corellian brandy. The Nautolan pours the golden-brown liquor into the glass until it almost swashes over the edge of the glass. 

“How old are you again?” Ahsoka asks while pulling the hood off of her head. The tookas have joined them by now as well. The Nautolan smiles at her like she’s terribly amused by Ahsoka asking this question.  
“Seventeen, sugar. No worries.” Ahsoka can her feel her face heat up. Thank the Force Anakin isn’t around to see this. 

The Nautolan tips her glass into Ahsoka’s direction before she drowns nearly the entire glass down her throat with one tip of her head. Ahsoka just watches, because Anakin and Obi-Wan don’t let her drink. Of course, she understands since she’s only sixteen and as long as Obi-Wan is with them when the 501st and Anakin go for drinks on some remote planets after a finished campaign, it’s not too bad. Obi-Wan doesn’t drink either so they just stick together for the night, making sure Anakin doesn’t tell the story of how he’s the greatest pilot in the galaxy too many times and then buys drinks for everyone inside the bar, billing the Republic for it. It happened once. Obi-Wan covered it up by claiming they needed to buy a ship because their other one got blown up and given their daily experiences, no one questioned it. Originally assuming that she has to ask about the Hutts again Ahsoka opens her mouth but the Nautolan beats her to it, swirling around the brandy in her glass. 

“There’s a syndicate that… delivered your friend. We’re not exactly on best terms and since you got your friend back, which I’m glad you did, they won’t get paid that part they would’ve gotten from the Separatists since that deal is off.”

“How do you have problems with a crime syndicate?” Ahsoka sighs and traces her index finger onto the counter, tracing some invisible markings the men of the 501st have on their armors—or faces. One of the tookas finds its fun in following around her finger, trying to catch it. 

“That’s a story that might take a while to tell.” The Nautolan nods at Ahsoka. “You found your friend, so why did you come back?”

Ahsoka reaches into one of her pockets and slides a few coins Obi-Wan gave to her across the counter. “I need information.”

“You seem to need that a lot,” the Nautolan says and empties her glass of brandy only to pour herself another one. Ahsoka can smell the liquor and scrunches up her nose. She doesn’t really know whether she should be concerned or not. But she assumes if a crime syndicate had it out for her, she would consider day drinking as well. "But since you're paying, of course, I am willing to give it to you. What do you need?"

“I need to know about the harbors of Nar Shaddaa,” Ahsoka says, “preferably the ones that are the least heavily guarded.”

“Stealing a ship?” The Nautolan raises an eyebrow. “For a pair of Jedi, you sure are a lot of trouble.”

Ahsoka decides to ignore that comment and asks: “So, can you help with that?”

“Lucky you,” the Nautolan says, “I know just the perfect shipyard for you to go to.”

Ahsoka opens her mouth to inquire more about this shipyard she seems to have in mind but the Nautolan beats her too it.

“It’s in the Corellian Sector,” she continues, “sketchy. But far enough from Hutta Town which you seem hell-bent on getting away from. It’s horrible enough down there but they hardly suspect people to go there looking for ships because to do so you probably need a death wish.”

“What do you mean with horrible?” Ahsoka asks. 

“Sometimes they’re a little behind in cleaning up the corpses.”

The way the Nautolan doesn’t move a single muscle while telling Ahsoka this suggests that this is not a joke at all. “Level 42. That’s where we’ll be going.”

“We?”

“Of course,” the Nautolan says, “I’m not going to let some strangers walk alone into Level 42. Even less when one of you might be injured.” She raises an eyebrow. “Your friend is injured, isn’t he? I can’t imagine they would treat him overly friendly.”

Ahsoka can only nod because she’s right. 

“Well, I will guide you safely to the shipyard,” she continues, “I’d rather not get caught up any more in your affairs than necessary so I will let you break into it and steal a ship alone. You’ll manage that, I assume.”

“I—thank you,” is what Ahsoka decides to go with. The Nautolan stretches out her hand at Ahsoka. 

“If we’re going to be working together,” she says, “my name is Vya.”

“Ahsoka.”

“Wonderful.” Vya grins. It’s as captivating as Master Fisto’s smile is. “Well, tell your friends to get here then.” 

Vya stares out of the window. “We have a few things to settle before I bring you down to Level forty-two.” 

Ahsoka nods and activates her commlink. She turns to face the door and presents Vya with her back to get at least some sense of privacy. 

“Master?” she asks. 

“Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan’s hurried voice comes immediately, “Is everything okay?”

She sighs at the amused glance the Nautolan spares her while finishing her third glass of brandy. Don’t get Nautolans drunk too?  
“Yes, Master. Everything is fine. Do you think Anakin would make it to the shop? I have the information we were looking for.”

For a moment there’s silence, the rustling in the background being the only indication of Obi-Wan still being there. “Yes,” he then says, “I took… care of it.”

And that makes Ahsoka frown. She can put together what that means and Anakin’s muttered “You shouldn’t have” in the background only confirms it.

“We will come to you as fast as possible,” Obi-Wan says, “Stay put, Ahsoka.”

“Yes, Master.” Ahsoka deactivates the commlink and lowers her arm only to find Vya staring at her, grinning. Her grin is sharp, almost intimidating and it makes Ahsoka shrink a little. 

“So,” she drawls, “one of these lightsabers I have ever been yours?”  
“No, “Ahsoka snaps, “I don’t lose mine.”

“Sure you don’t.”

Vya pushes herself away from the counter with her hands and turns around. The further she steps away from the counter the more of what she’s wearing reveals itself to Ahsoka. She hasn’t been able to see it before but Vya is wearing a black jumpsuit that reminds Ahsoka of the one the mechanics on Coruscant wear. While it’s pretty much black to the core there are some white details. It looks nice enough, Ahsoka guesses. 

“Well then,” Vya says, looking over her shoulder, “if your friends are on their way I will get us a map of this city. You can finish that brandy if you want.”

She waves at the bottle that Ahsoka still only eyes wearily. Also, considering how they might have to fight their way through one of these ships she needs to be on her best behavior, with Anakin still out of it. 

When Vya gets back Anakin and Obi-Wan haven’t shown up yet and Ahsoka honestly didn’t expect them to. Obi-Wan may have put some of his healing abilities to use but surely not everything since he needs his strength too. Ahsoka leans against the counter when Vya gets back, staring at the door—just in case someone comes through that door who isn’t Obi-Wan and Anakin. Vya hops onto the counter and in the next moment she’s sitting next to where Ahsoka is standing, two tookas piled up in her lap with the other one swirling around Ahsoka’s lek at the back of her head. 

“So,” Vya mutters, “we haven’t had Jedi around here in a while. Not that I know of.”  
“We make an effort to not come here,” Ahsoka responds, crossing her arms over in front of her chest. 

“Of course you do,” Vya chuckles. “The one you were here with teaches you then?”

Ahsoka spares a glance at Vya. Her black eyes that seem depthless like the endlessness of space itself, seem wider in curiosity. 

“Sort of,” Ahsoka says, “technically our friend we came looking for is my… Master. He’s the one who’s teaching me.”

“Oh? What about the other one then?” One of Vya’s tentacles twitches when one of the tookas scratches at it, making her gently shoo it away, back onto the counter again. The other one has fallen asleep on her left leg and it makes Vya pull her right leg up on the counter as well, resting an arm on it. 

“He is my Master too, somewhat at least, not officially, but he is,” Ahsoka says, “He taught my Master and because they stick together he’s been teaching me too.”

Vya gives her a funny look. “What? Like a family then?”

A smile pulls at the corners of Ahsoka’s mouth. She feels warm. “Yes, something like that.”

“You Jedi sure are funny ones.”

“If you say so,” Ahsoka says, “I wouldn’t exactly call us that.”

“What do you want me to call you then? Small Jedi?”

Ahsoka snaps her head around to Vya, whose shoulders are trembling in silent laughter. 

“It’s called Padawan,” she snaps. She usually doesn’t take that much pride in the title, rather comfort when Anakin or Obi-Wan call her that or annoyance when they use it on her to exclude her from some missions. However, small Jedi is definitely worse. Before Vya gets to make another comment the door swing open and while Ahsoka’s hands fly to her lightsabers she lowers them again upon realising that it’s Obi-Wan and Anakin who have arrived. 

“Welcome back,” Vya calls to Obi-Wan who seems mildly exasperated already. He has brought both of their backpacks with him. She can’t wait to leave this planet already. “And welcome to you,” she adds in regards to Anakin who steps into the shop after Obi-Wan. Ahsoka doesn’t even want to ask how much energy Obi-Wan put into making Anakin be able to walk on his own. Anakin turns to Obi-Wan.

"She's a kid," he says.

"Hush," Obi-Wan whispers and Anakin rolls his eyes at him. 

"Hey, I indirectly helped save you," Vya says at the same time from where she's sitting on the counter. 

"Back to business, please," Ahsoka interjects. Vya frowns at Anakin one more time who seems hardly impressed by that. "So, we'll be going to the Corellian Sector apparently."

Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow. "The Corellian Sector?"

"Heard of it?" Vya asks.

"You could say that."

"Then at least one of you will be prepared. How wonderful.”

Vya slips off the counter and then rounds it until she stands behind it again, nodding at the other three of them. Obi-Wan joins her behind the counter with Ahsoka just turning around and Anakin taking the place next to her. Instinctively she slips closer to his side for the support he may still need amidst the great force healing techniques of one Obi-Wan Kenobi. Vya puts a small holoprojector in the middle of the counter and presses a button to draw up a map of Nar Shaddaa. Ahsoka recognises the two towers of Hutta Town, from where they got Anakin while Vya moves the focus of the map into the north. 

“There’s the Corellian Sector,” she says, “not that far from here.” Ahsoka wonders how she survived all those years. Vya zooms further into the map. While Ahsoka didn’t catch any underground levels in Hutta Town they are certainly some in the Corellian Sector and Vya zooms all the way into Level forty-two. “That goes an awfully lot down,” Ahsoka notices. 

Vya hums in agreement. “I hope one of you is at least an average pilot.”

At that Anakin grins. “Oh, I am an incredibly pilot.” Ahsoka looks over to Obi-Wan. His face already looks ashen and she feels truly sorry for him. Especially when Anakin beds his chin on his still functioning flesh hand and asks: “Think you’ll be able to handle it, Master?”

“Do shut up, Anakin.” 

Anakin seems delighted enough to be able to bicker with Obi-Wan again. Secretly, and she knows this, Obi-Wan is just as delighted himself.

“We need a fast ship,” Obi-Wan says to Vya and she raises an eyebrow. 

“How fast? Because if you need one that’s—”

“Just one that gets us to Coruscant in four days, preferably.” 

“You have somewhere to be?”

  
Obi-Wan’s shoulders rise and fall in a silent sigh. Ahsoka can see Anakin’s eyes widen. Well. Maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned that. 

“You have to leave when we get back?" Anakin asks, a little louder than necessary.

"Yes, the two hundred twelfth's shore leave will be over when we return and I will have to get back to the Outer Rim." Obi-Wan looks like he’s hardly bothered by it. In a few moments he’s going to be, Ahsoka thinks and already internally prepares herself for what is to come.

"And you still came here?"

"Of course I did," Obi-Wan snaps and Ahsoka called it, "or would you rather have me letting you fall into Dooku's hands?"

Ahsoka gives Vya an apologetic look, who seems to tense up at the mention of Dooku’s name. However the tenseness of her shoulders doesn’t last long and just in a few seconds Vya is back to being highly amused, like having Anakin here is an honest delight to her. Ahsoka can imagine they would get along well enough after a rocky start. It's horrible with them and still, Ahsoka wouldn't trade it for anything.

"They could have sent someone else."

"No, they couldn't have," Obi-Wan responds flatly.

"Why not?"

Obi-Wan doesn't have to say it for Ahsoka to understand. They couldn't have sent someone else because Obi-Wan simply didn't trust anyone else with bringing Anakin back home. So, she takes pity on them because Anakin probably wouldn't know how to respond to that, in front of Ahsoka and Vya even less, and then they would just be sulking around, acting as if everyone else doesn't know about the whole _'wherever you go, I'll go'_ thing they have going on. 

So, "Masters," she says, "as much entertainment your bickering may bring me, Vya still has things she needs to explain to us."

Obi-Wan and Anakin end their staring contest to both look at Vya, who under the gaze of both them, seems to shrink a little. Good to see that there is something after all that makes her back down a little. 

"Of course, I'm sorry for… that."

"Be sorry for something else," Anakin mutters. 

"Anakin!"

"I will just give your commander orders to use any available means to get to you to medbay after this. Force knows you could use it after this." He gestures up and down on his body. No more broken ribs then. Maybe bruised only.

"I outrank you, Anakin,” Obi-Wan deadpans. He hardly ever pulls that fact and it makes Ahsoka forget way too often that Obi-Wan is not only a General but a High General and that he commands numbers of men Ahsoka can’t even imagine. 

"Well, Cody's and my concern outrank you."

"That's not how it works."

"Masters," Ahsoka this time snaps and they immediately advert their attention back to her. Wonderful. As always it’s just wonderful with them. “Thank you,” she adds, a little softer. “Are you done now?”

Anakin side-eyes Obi-Wan who looks like he’s ready to give Anakin a concussion any second now. Everything back to normal then. Vya clears her throat a little awkwardly. 

“I will get you to the Level and to the shipyard. It’s not necessarily guarded but there are walls.” Vya looks at all of them. “That won’t be a problem, no?”

They all shake their heads. There are certainly ways to get Anakin over that wall. Dignity endangered or not. Vya claps into her hands together. 

“Fantastic. Questions, anyone? If not I’m ready to get you away from here.”

Ahsoka has one. Just not one that has something to do with the shipyard on Level 42. She bites down on the inner side of her cheek.

  
“Are you sure about staying here?” Ahsoka finally asks Vya because that question has been gnawing at her mind ever since she stepped foot in the ravaged shop. 

“I will be fine.”

Obi-Wan eyes her as well. “This,” he gestures at the chaos before them, “has something to do with us coming here?”

“Maybe.”

Ahsoka coughs and Vya glares at her, before turning back to Obi-Wan. 

“Yes. Let's assume I made some people very angry by tipping you off," she says, "you seem to be the most… sensible one, would you stay here? If you were me.”

Anakin appears shaken to the core that Vya considers Obi-Wan to be the most sensible one as if people don’t always think that. And he also is—the most sensible one between the three of them. However, Ahsoka wouldn’t exactly call him sensible, more like sensible by association with Anakin and her. Though, Obi-Wan always chooses to ignore that and claims he is just sensible, nothing more than that. As if he doesn’t happily throw himself out of windows and off of cliffs just as frequently as Anakin. Once, in confidence, Anakin told her that Obi-Wan jumped out of a window after an incredibly small droid when they were sent to protect Senator Amidala and Anakin had to go pick him up with a speeder. 

Obi-Wan looks at Vya.

"The safest place for you to be," he muses, "would be on a ship that is getting you off this planet."

There's a tooka sitting on his shoulder again already. Ahsoka didn’t even notice it getting there. Vya eyes the shop she has managed to build on this planet and then she looks back at Anakin who's still leaning against the counter and Ahsoka as well. She sighs, arms crossed in front of her chest as if to protect herself.

“I don’t know… everything I’ve ever known is here.” She aimlessly waves one hand through the air. “I will just get what I need and then I’ll get you to that shipyard.”

A heavy silence settles over the room. Anakin pushes himself away from the counter.

“I’ll talk to her,” he says. He says that in a way that makes Ahsoka suspect he knows more about those kinds of things than he ever told her. The forbidden past Anakin keeps a secret from her.

“Yes, you do that.” 

With just Obi-Wan and her in the room left her Grandmaster steps away from the counter to step further into the middle of the shop. The Force is dripping with guilt—not only Obi-Wan’s and Ahsoka is glad enough that Vya can’t detect force signatures. 

Obi-Wan sits down on one of the chairs Vya pushed into the room before they arrived and so far went fairly unnoticed, while Ahsoka moves closer to him. She points at the cut on his cheek. 

“You should’ve taken care of that by now.”

Obi-Wan reaches up to touch the cut on his cheek. “There wasn’t really any time.”

Ahsoka gives him a reproachful look. “There’s time now.”

Before Obi-Wan has the chance to protest Ahsoka rounds the counter of the shop and ducks behind it to see if Vya keeps a medical kit somewhere. She has to, considering how her line of work isn’t exactly the safest one. She shuffles through the shelves underneath the counter until she finds a medical kit. With a triumphant smile, that Obi-Wan can’t see, she lifts the medical kit up so he can see it. 

“Look at that,” she calls. 

“No need to sound so excited,” Obi-Wan comments dryly. 

“I respectfully disagree.”

Ahsoka gets up again with the medical kit in her hands and makes her way back to where Obi-Wan is sitting. She drops the medical kit into Obi-Wan’s lap who still watches it wearily as if it could present itself as an enemy at any given moment. 

She opens the medical kit. “A bacta patch will do, Padawan,” Obi-Wan says. 

“Hush,” she says, “let me at least clean it before I put a bacta patch over it.”

Obi-Wan actually rolls her eyes at her like this is already too much but he lets Ahsoka do her job, she gave herself, without complaining any further. 

After finishing putting the bacta patch on Obi-Wan’s cheek, she drops down into cross-legged position at his feet. It doesn’t take long for the other two tookas to come back to her. The third one still rets on Obi-Wan’s shoulder with its tail curled around his neck. 

“And now?” she asks. 

“Now we wait for Anakin to talk to… your new friend.”

Ahsoka almost protests the use of the word ‘friend’, but then she doesn’t. Wait. She can do that. Definitely. 

By the time that Vya and Anakin get back to the room, Obi-Wan and she have fallen into a comfortable silence with Ahsoka leaning against Obi-Wan’s legs with one of her shoulders. Ahsoka peaks up in interest. There’s a rather large backpack slung over Vya’s shoulder. She sighs upon catching Ahsoka’s look. Ahsoka thinks it’s weird that she too could pack up everything she possesses in one backpack. 

“I guess, I will just sell these lightsabers on another planet, then. I assume they’ll be enough to get me started somewhere new.” Ahsoka bristles at that a little bit but whether she likes to admit it or not, she’s also relieved. For Vya. Anakin seems pleased enough with himself. "I will not travel with you, though. Just so that we're clear," Vya says, "can't have you attempting to teach me about morality when it comes to selling your precious lightsabers."

All she gets is three equally unimpressed looks. Vya only shrugs her shoulders before crouching down and opening her arms to the two tookas that are with Ahsoka. They immediately come running towards her.

"You're taking the tookas with you?" Anakin asks.

"Of course, I am. Don't you have a pet?"

"I don't exactly have the—"

"You have Artoo," Ahsoka interrupts him, "that's basically the same thing."

Anakin gives a scandalised gasp. "Artoo is _not_ a—"

"That's enough," Obi-Wan interjects, "if we're ready to leave then I would like us to leave right away."

Anakin and Ahsoka nod while Vya regards Obi-Wan with an almost challenging glance. “You’re going to keep the cat?”

Obi-Wan doesn’t say anything, just shoos all three of them out of the door. The tooka on his shoulder stays—with its tail still curled around his neck. 

◇

Vya leads them through impossible narrow alleyways, where not even tookas like to go apparently since these alleyways are empty of any life. It’s kind of unsettling, really. The third of Vya’s tooka didn’t move away from Obi-Wan’s shoulder while the other two are peaking out of Vya’s backpack and they all just accepted it. 

“Honestly, this is worse than Coruscant,” Anakin mutters under his breath. His steps are more secure now, though. He’s not stumbling anymore and that’s enough for the moment. 

“What exactly did you expect, Anakin? Honestly?” Obi-Wan mutters and the tooka meows at her Master. At the moment he’s walking on his own. Force, Obi-Wan must be so tired. 

“I don’t know,” Anakin hisses. 

“Be quiet now,” Obi-Wan says, “won’t you?”  
“Alright, Master.” Anakin still rolls his eyes at Obi-Wan but he keeps quiet after this. Ahsoka, on the other hand, is very much immersed into Vya’s tentacles who sway from side to side with every step she takes. It’s kind of mesmerising. 

Vya doesn’t have to announce their arrival in the Corellian Sector because Ahsoka can feel the atmosphere change drastically. The neon signs that were all over Hutta Town vanish all of a sudden and they’re dropped into sudden darkness. They pass through three streets before the same giant circle opens up before them that opens up on Coruscant. They get themselves one of these little shuttles that exist on Coruscant as well and then Vya brings them down to Level 42. By the time they get onto it, Anakin has to lean onto Obi-Wan again. The tooka hisses at Anakin when he puts his arm around Obi-Wan’s shoulder for the first time again. Obi-Wan lets him without commenting on it, just wraps his arm around Anakin’s waist. It’s a motion they’re used to by now, after having to drag each other from the battlefield for years now. Even on Coruscant Ahsoka has never been that far down, even though there are not nearly as many levels on Nar Shaddaa as there are on Coruscant. The planet is smaller in the end. Still. Level 42 is low and the sunlight doesn’t reach this place, neither does morality from what Vya has told her. 

The shipyard is right at the edge of said Level and it eases Ahsoka’s mind to some extent. Any step further into Level 42 and she would come close enough to losing her mind in this place. The high wall that rises up in front of them must be the shipyard. 

“Street next to this,” Vya announces quietly, already ushering them away from the main platform and into another direction. “No one will see us enter from there.”

Vya leads them away from the edge of the platform before making them take a sharp turn to the left and they’re all stepping up in front of the wall. There has been one corpse in their way so far. Ahsoka almost stepped into it if Obi-Wan hadn’t pulled her to the side. 

“So, Obi-Wan,” Anakin mutters, and she assumes he couldn’t have kept forever, “picking up kids on planets your thing now?” She wonders for how long he kept that question in. 

Ahsoka’s eyes wander from Vya to Anakin who just shrugs at her. She didn’t know that and sometimes she wonders how much she knows about Anakin at all. 

"Wait, I am not a kid anymore," Vya protests, "I am seventeen."

"Just means you're a big kid then," Anakin rasps out, "also I was just as helpful when I was nine as you were now."

"Anakin, quiet."

"Well, now that seems like a lie."

"Oh, now the seventeen-year-old is going to talk?"

"Both of you," Obi-Wan hisses, "quiet. _Now!_ "

Vya and Anakin both look back to the wall in front of them, while Ahsoka turns to Vya. 

“Are you going to get over the wall on your own?”

Vya gives her a look—an unimpressed one. “Of course.” Then… silence for a moment.

“You Jedi go first,” she whispers. “Even though I don’t know how you want to get him over this wall.” Vya glances at Anakin who’s still clinging to Obi-Wan like a newborn foal that can’t stand on its own. Moving around for too long still isn’t an option for him. He’s going to need these few days in Hyperspace to regain some of his strength.

“There’s no need for all of us to go over the wall,” Obi-Wan calmly interrupts their conversation. 

Under different circumstances Ahsoka knows Anakin would try to preserve his dignity right now but since he can hardly stand on his own… Obi-Wan nods at Ahsoka and then gently slides Anakin over to her. She knows what is about to come. Vya actually flinches when Obi-Wan pushes himself off the ground, with the use of the force definitely, and jumps over the wall with ease. 

“Well… that was impressive,” Vya mutters under her breath and Ahsoka grins. No wonder her Master is such a show-off, he was trained by Obi-Wan after all. 

“He’s impossible.” Anakin shakes his head. “Everyone take a step back.”

They do just as the tip of Obi-Wan’s blue lightsaber jams through the wall and begins cutting a circle through which they’ll be able to enter. It doesn’t take Obi-Wan too long to get through the wall. Ahsoka drags Anakin further to the side while Vya stumbles backwards when the piece of the wall comes falling down before their feet. 

“Come on in,” Obi-Wan says rather cheerfully. It’s that split cheerfulness he gets when things go the way he wants them to go for the fraction of a heartbeat. Vya steps through the circle and Ahsoka and Anakin follow her. 

“Let’s find a ship, then,” Ahsoka mutters. 

“I’ve always wanted my own,” Vya chirps, “Not paying for my first one is even better.”

“I’m glad at least one of us is enjoying this,” Obi-Wan dryly comments, while looking around. None of them needs to say but neither of the ships around them is fitting for their grand escape. So, ascending further into the shipyard it is. 

Ahsoka walks through the shipyard in front of the rest of them. It’s dark and still, the ships somehow seem to draw even bigger shadows, looming in the dark like they’re ready to attack them any second. Vya is close enough to her side to guide them while Obi-Wan and Anakin make the tail light. Mainly because Anakin still needs support when walking for too long and this is certainly the case in this scenario. They still haven’t found a suitable ship. 

“There’s a Firespray,” Anakin suddenly whispers and Ahsoka turns her head towards the direction Anakin is pointing to, glancing through the space between two ships she’s standing in front of, while Obi-Wan only grimaces. They’re popular with bounty hunters so of course, Obi-Wan wouldn’t like that kind of ship.

“You wanted fast, Master. A Firespray is fast, so let’s get this one.”  
Vya is just about to emerge from behind the ship there still standing behind when Ahsoka picks up noise. Instinctively, she drags her back. Her enhanced hearing senses have been a blessing throughout the entire war and they’re now when she sneaks forward, turning to peak around the ship. There are assassin droids stepping into the free space between the ships and Ahsoka turns around to Anakin, Obi-Wan and Vya, putting her index finger in front of her lips. 

“You said there would be no guards here,” Ahsoka hisses then. Thankfully it’s one of those large Bombers they’re hiding behind.

“I said _normally_ it isn’t guarded,” Vya snaps back under her breath, “because _normally_ there aren’t Jedi running around on Nar Shaddaa.”

“Wonderful.”

“You’re Jedi, you can take them out, can’t you?”

Ahsoka is about to give another snappy comment when she remembers that the Nautolan also has a point because yes—Obi-Wan and she can take them out. Ahsoka squats down, just in case, and peaks around the ship again. Obi-Wan comes to stand next to her, leaving Anakin to lean against the Bomber. There are four of the assassin droids. Not too hard to take care of. 

“Anakin,” he says, not turning to look at him, “you’ll wait here.” He turns to Vya. “And you too.” Obi-Wan pulls the tooka off of his shoulder and hands it to Vya.  
Anakin opens his mouth to protest but Obi-Wan beats him to it. 

“You can’t move three of your fingers, you stay here.”

Ahsoka feels the confusion radiate off Vya in her force signature. She has taken a liking to Vya’s force signature. It’s bright, always moving, always changing, like a river. 

“Fine,” Anakin hisses. Obi-Wan gives Ahsoka a nod and then they sneak forward as soon as the assassin droids turn their back on them. 

Obi-Wan slices through the first assassin droid in a swift mission. Ahsoka takes one last step forwards and twirls between two of the droids, slicing through their bodies with her lightsabers. She turns to Obi-Wan just at that moment he flips his lightsaber into the reverse grip, Anakin and he nag her about way too often and pushes it into the body of the droid behind him. Its movements come to a stuttering halt and Obi-Wan pushes the lightsaber further into the body until the droid crumbles to the ground. Anakin, followed by Vya cradling the third tooka in her arms, steps out behind the Bomber. Vya looks up to Anakin. 

“Where is your lightsaber?” she asks him and Ahsoka cringes. She images that Obi-Wan had that talk with Anakin already. Obi-Wan didn’t find it in the command center and they didn’t have exactly the time to go look for it. So—yet another lightsaber lost to Anakin Skywalker. The younglings get way too excited about the possibility of him going to Illum with them to pick up another kyber crystal. Anakin doesn’t answer Vya’s question just shoots back “Maybe I will take one of yours.”

Vya takes a step to the side, holding the tooka out of reach like this is what Anakin is after. 

“No, thank you,” she snaps. 

Vya eyes the shuttle that’s parked next to Firespray class and just like that her attention shifts away from Anakin, potential lightsaber thief. 

“I will take that one,” she gleefully chirps. 

“And you know how to fly that one?” Anakin asks. Vya’s tentacles twitch when she turns back to him, her free hand at one side of her hip. 

“Of course, I know how to fly that one. You don’t grow up in Hutt Space not knowing how to fly.”

“Yeah, _I_ know,” Anakin retorts. 

Vya turns around to face all of them, clapping her hands together which earns her another glare from Anakin. 

“For Jedi,” she says, “I guess I enjoyed making your acquaintance to some extent at least. Thank you for not making me give up my lightsabers.”

Ahsoka rolls her eyes.

“Maybe our paths will cross again someday,” Vya goes on and then turns to Obi-Wan, “you should consider getting yourself a tooka. The can be very therapeutic and they seem to like you. I hope you get back to Coruscant in one piece.”

Obi-Wan makes an affronted noise at that but chooses not to comment. Vya gives them a mock salute and then she turns around on her heels, bouncing towards the shuttle. Ahsoka guesses that was that then.

Ahsoka stares at her for a moment but then she turns around to the Firespray 31 class they’re going to get themselves. In the distance, she can hear the sound of more droids approaching. 

“We have to go, now. More droids are coming.”

She doesn’t need to tell them twice. Obi-Wan gets the ramp of the ship to open and Ahsoka helps Anakin get in. 

“You think you can fly already?” she asks, putting one of her hands against his chest to stabilise him while walking up the ramp.

“Not like we got a choice,” Anakin says. “Unless Obi-Wan wants to get us out of here.”

Obi-Wan catches up to them. “No, I don’t want to.”

“That’s what I thought,” Anakin smirks. “Come on, let’s get this ship started.”

Ahsoka remains in the hangar with the ramp closing, while Anakin and Obi-Wan immediately head for the cockpit. 

“Ahsoka,” Anakin calls after her, “strap yourself in. We’re going for a ride.”

Ahsoka gets a last glimpse of the ship that Vya got herself, taking off and some sense of relief settles over her before the ramp closes with a final hiss. Something tells her Vya is going to be just fine, even though Ahsoka would’ve felt a lot better if she had chosen to come to Coruscant with them. Then she heads for the nearest seat she can find and straps herself in just in time before Anakin pulls the ship up straight into the air. Perhaps Obi-Wan will have a few new grey hairs after they leave the underworld of Nar Shaddaa behind them. It wouldn’t surprise her.

The ship shoots up through the air. It makes her a little bit nervous that she can’t see what’s happening but with Anakin, it’s always a lot of blind trust and she’s willing to take that. The Firespray being a fast ship will not only ensure that they’ll be back on Coruscant in time, but it also ensures that it doesn’t take too long for them to leave Nar Shaddaa’s underworld behind. She’s thrown from one side to another in her seat a few times, probably dodging other ships ascending down, but it’s hardly the worst thing she’s been through while flying with Anakin. 

She assumes they made it out when Anakin joins her in the small space of the ship where the seats are positioned. Firesprays aren’t exactly too roomy. 

Anakin slumps back against a wall and slowly slides down until he’s sitting down on the ground. “Obi-Wan is taking care of the flying now,” he announces, “made it off the planet.”

Ahsoka gets out of her seat to take place next to Anakin on the ground. The wall is cool against her skin. 

“So, missed me?” he says, pulling one of his stupid smiles at her. And just maybe Ahsoka feels a little bit like she might cry any given moment now. She whacks his arm instead and it makes Anakin wheeze. 

“Sorry,” she mutters, “you deserved that, Master.”

“Maybe.” Anakin lets his head fall back against the wall behind him. “I’m tired.”

“I imagine,” Ahsoka mutters, “there must be a room somewhere on this ship.”

Ahsoka stands up, with her arm wrapped around Anakin’s waist to pull him up with her. In the same moment, a jolt rocks through the ship. They must be in hyperspace now. She sighs; they made it off this Force forsaken planet. _Finally._ Since there are not that many opportunities on this ship to hide a bedroom they find it rather quickly. It’s basically the only other room that wasn’t designed to hold prisoners. Ahsoka lets Anakin down on the mattress slowly, making sure it doesn’t hurt his ribs any more than necessary. They sit shoulder to shoulder then. 

Anakin looks at her and puts his still functioning hand on her shoulder. “You were great, Snips.”

Ahsoka smiles at him. “I know,” she chirps, “you’re welcome.”

Still, there’s warmth flooding through her veins upon receiving praise from Anakin and she takes comfort in having his Force signature fill the room again—their bond humming happily, now that they’re no longer apart. 

Anakin lets his hand fall back from her shoulder and takes a deep breath but the corners of his lips are curved upwards in a smile.

"I hope Obi-Wan didn't attempt to teach you too much about protocol."

Ahsoka lets out a chuckle.

"Actually, besides the gambling business," she says, "Master Kenobi may or may not have been responsible for a bar brawl."

Anakin's mouth opens and closes again. Then: "You have to tell me everything."

"I'm afraid Master Kenobi requested my discretion."

"You're my Padawan."

"Maybe I'll tell you if you have to rescue me at some point."

“Unbelievable,” Anakin mutters, “you spent a few days with him alone and you already turn against me.”

Ahsoka laughs at that and then a little quieter adds: “I missed you, Master.”

Anakin turns to look at her again and she is strangely reminded of the way they sat between ruins after their first mission together. He, a little more hot-headed, not willing to take a Padawan back then. She, a little more stubborn, still a lot brattier than she is now. Now there’s affection in his eyes when he looks at her. 

“I missed you too, Snips.”

Their bond hums in peace and satisfaction. The drowsiness still reeks off Anakin, which is why Ahsoka gets up so he can finally lay down. 

“Can you get Obi-Wan?” he then asks. 

“Sure.” She nods and turns around to leave to go get Obi-Wan from the cockpit. They also have to talk about a few things she can imagine. 

She leaves Anakin to himself, pondering on whether he even still be awake when Obi-Wan gets to him. The ship is small so it’s really only a few steps to the cockpit. Ahsoka knocks her knuckles against the doorframe and watches as Obi-Wan turns around in the pilot seat. 

“Is Anakin alright?” he immediately asks, eyes slightly widened in concern. 

“Yes,” she hurries to say, “Yes, he’s alright. Just wants to see you.”

Obi-Wan gets up in the blink of an eye. “Can you take over?” he asks, gesturing towards the pilot seat. 

“Sure.” There’s not really much for her to do since they’re in Hyperspace now, though.

Ahsoka takes over the in the pilot seat and she’s glad to do so if it gets her two Masters the time they need. However, sitting alone in the cockpit gets really boring after a while which is way at one point she gets the astromech that was on board to take over to return to the room where Anakin is no longer sitting on the bed but back to laying down. Only now he has taken Obi-Wan with him. She leans in the door frame with one shoulder. 

"The astromech is taking care of the flying,” she announces, drawing Obi-Wan’s attention from Anakin to her.

The bunks of the ship are incredibly narrow, the ones of their Venator class ships suddenly seem like a never-ending ocean. Obi-Wan strokes his hand over Anakin's head with Anakin curled up at his side, one arm flung over Obi-Wan's chest already. 

"You did well, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan says upon spotting her by the door; his voice full of warmth. "Throughout all of this."

"Thank you, Master." Ahsoka tilts her head in his direction in a small bow.

"A little help with that?" he then adds, referring to Anakin who by now is pretty much dead to the world. She feels like him falling asleep on Obi-Wan wasn’t exactly the plan. It may have been Anakin’s plan… certainly not Obi-Wan’s, though. Instead of attempting at helping Obi-Wan move away from Anakin she just grins.

“You should rest too,” she says. “Your shore leave will be over when we return. No time to rest then.”

“Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan sighs. 

“Master.” And with that Ahsoka lets herself fall down at the end of the bed. “The astromech is flying. We could all use the rest.”

And since Obi-Wan doesn’t object to that, because she’s right, Ahsoka curls up on the blanket at their feet. She’s used to doing this by now. Whenever the bed is too small to fit all three of them, Ahsoka usually curls up at the end of said bed. It doesn’t bother her. Seconds later she can feel a blanket settle over her body. 

"Such misuse of the Force, Master."

"Hush, Padawan." Obi-Wan's voice is fond and warmth rises in her chest just like the sun does over Coruscant. Ahsoka smiles to herself. 

They’re together again, just as they’re supposed to be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so as of now, this fic is officially finished i hope you all enjoyed reading it! i certainly enjoyed writing it because obi-wan's and ahsoka's potential as duo needs to be explored more
> 
> \+ my [twitter](https://twitter.com/bIyIas)
> 
> \+ my [tumblr](https://curse-of-men.tumblr.com/)


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